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English Classic Series 



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THE KNIGHTES TALE 



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Geoffbry Chaucer, 



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NEW YORK: 

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1888, 



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LIFE OF CHAUCER 



The father and grandfather of Geoffrey Chaucer were well-to-do 
itizens and vintners of the city of London. The guilds and city 
:)mpanies were at that time what their names imply, associations of 
men engaged in the same trade or industry, and, accordingly, we find 
John Chaucer, the father of the poet, keeping a wine-shop and 
hostelrie on the banks of the Thames, near the outfall of the Wall 
Brook, probably where the Cannon Street Station now stands, and 
here Geoffrey was bom and spent his early years. 

What education he gave his son, and whether he intended him 
for the professions of the law or the church, or for the less ambitious 
career of a citizen, we do not know. 

The author of the " Court of Love ^ represents himself as " of 
Cambridge, clerk ; " but even if this could be proved to mean that 
he was a student of that university, there are very strong grounds 
for believing that the poem has been wrongly attributed to Chaucer. 
There is, in fact, not a shadow of evidence that Chaucer studied at 
either Oxford or Cambridge, though Leland asserts that he had been 
at each. 

Young men designed for secular callings frequently finished their 
education by attaching themselves to the households or retinue of 
some nobleman, with whom they enjoyed the advantages of intro- 
duction to good society, and sometimes of foreign travel on political 
or military enterprises. 

John Chaucer attended Edward IIL and his Queen Philippa in 
1338 in their expedition to Flanders, but in what capacity we have 
no means of learning. In 1357 we find a Geoffrey Chaucer in the 
household of Elizabeth, wife of Lionel, third son of Edward, and if 
he were our poet he doubtless owed his appointment to his father's 
former connection with the court. In 1359 he served, still pro- 
bably in attendance on Lionel, with the army of Edward in France, 
and was, as he himself informs us, taken prisoner, but ransomed in 
the following year at the ignominious peace of Bretigny. 

In 1367 and the following years we find entries in the Issue Rolls 
of the Court of Exchequer and in the Tower Rolls of the payment 
to him of a pension of twenty marks for former and present services 

5 



O THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

as one of the valets of the king's chamber. While in attendance on 
the members of the royal family he had formed an unreturned and 
hopeless attachment to some lady of far higher social rank, which 
inspired his first original poem, the " Compleynt to Pite;" and since, 
in his elegy on the death of Blanche, the young wife of John of 
Gaunt, entitled " The Dethe of Blaunche the Duchesse,*^ he con- 
fesses that the "sickeness" that he "had suffred this eight yeere" 
is now past, there can be little doubt that she was the object of his 
affection. 

From 1370 to 1380 he was engaged in not less than seven diplo 
matic missions to Italy, France, and Flanders, for which he received 
various sums of money, as well as a valuable appointment in the 
customs; in 1374 he obtained the lease of the house above the 
Aldgate from the corporation of London, and in this year the 
Duke of Lancaster granted him a pension of £10 for services ren- 
dered by himseK and his wife Philippa. We hear of a Philipp? 
Chaucer as one of the Ladies of the Bedchamber to the Queen 
Philippa as early as 1366 ; but since in the "Compleynte to Pite " in 
1367 he expresses a hope that his high-born lady love may yet 
accept his love, it is probable that she was a namesake or cousin of 
Geoffrey, and that he did not marry her until the nuptials of the 
Lady Blanche with the duke had extinguished his hopes of ever 
making her his wife, perhaps, indeed, not until after her death. 

In 1372-73 he remained in Italy for nearly a year on the king's 
business, where, if he did not make the acquaintance of Petrarch 
and Boccaccio, as is supposed by some, it is certain that the study of 
the Italian poetry and literature exerted a marked influence on his 
own writings, as seen in the works composed during this middle 
period of his literary career, the " Lyf e of Seynte Cecile," "Parla- 
ment of Foules," "Compleynt of Mars," "Anelide and Arcite," 
"Boece," "Former Age," "Troylus and Cresseide," and the 
" House of Fame." 

At a later period he wrote his "Truth," "Legende of Good 
Women," his " Moder of God," and began the " Canterbury 
Tales." 

In 1386 he was elected a knight of the shire for the county of 
Kent, and in this year we obtain the only authentic evidence of his 
age. In a deposition made by him at Westminster, where the 
parliament was met, in the famous trial between Richard, Lord 
Scrope, and Sir Robert Grosvenor, the council clerk entered him, 
doubtless on his own statement, as forty years old and upwards, 



LIFE OF CHAUCER. ^ 

and as having borne arms for twenty-seven years. We may there- 
fore conclude that he was born in 1339, which would make him at 
that time forty-seven years old, and the twenty-seven years would 
count from his coming of age. He would thus have been eighteen 
when he became page to the Princess Elizabeth, and twenty in the 
French war. 

His patron, John of Gaunt, was now abroad, and John's rival, the 
Duke of Gloucester, in power. The commission appointed by the 
parliament to. inquire into the administration of the customs and 
subsidies, dismissed him from his two appointments in the customs, 
and soon after even his pensions were revoked. He was thus 
reduced from affluence to poverty, and his feelings are expressed in 
his beautiful " Balade of Truth ; " to add to his troubles his wife 
died next year (1389), yet amid grief and penury he went on with his 
merry " Canterbury Tales." 

With the reassumption of the government by Richard II. in 1389 
and the return of the Lancastrian party to power, fortune smiled 
once more on the poor poet, but his income was at best small and 
uncertain, and his tenure of some petty offices short and precarious. 
He wrote about this time his translation of a "Treatise on the 
Astrolabe, for his son Lewis," his " Compleynt of Venus," 
"Envoy to Skogan," "Marriage," "Gentleness,'" "Lack of Stead- 
fastness," "Fortune and his Compleynt to his Purse," besides 
carrying on his greatest work, the " Tales," which was left unfinished 
at his death. This event occurred in 1400 at a house in the garden 
of the Chapel of St. Mary, Westminster, the lease of which he had 
taken in the previous year. 

He was probably in his sixty -first or sixty-second year when he 
died. 

In the carefully executed portrait by Occleve, preserved among 
the Harl. MSS., and the words which he puts into the mouth of 
" mine host " of the Tabard, as well as from admissions no less than 
deliberate expressions of feeling scattered through his works, we can 
form a pretty complete notion of his personal appearance, habits, 
and character. 

Stout in body but small and fair of face, shy and reserved with 
strangers, but fond — perhaps too fond — of "good felaweschip,"of wine 
and song ; passionately given to study, often after his day's labours 
at the customs sitting up half the night poring over old musty 
MSS., French, Latin, Italian, or English, till his head ached, and 
his eyes were dull and dazed. But his love of nature was as strong 



8 THE KXIGHTES TALE. 

as his love of books. He is fond of dwelling on the beauties of the 
spring-time in the country. 

" Heikneth these blisful bridd6s how they sjnge. 
And seth the fressche floiires how they spriuge 1 " 

he bids us on a bright April morn. And more fully describes his 
own feelings in the '* Legend of Good Women." 

" And as for me, though that I konne but lyte. 

On bokes for to rede I me delj-te, 

And to hem give I feyth and ful credence. 

And in mjTi herte have hem in reverenc6 

So hertely that there is game noon 

That fro my bokes maketh me to goon. 

But N't be seldom on the holy day, 
* Save certej-nly whan that the monethe of May 

Is com^n, and that I here the foules synge, 

And that the flourSs gjunen for to spiynge, 

Faire wel my boke, and my devocioun ! " 

He was thoroughly English, one of the educated middle class, the 
class to which England owes so much ; he had by his connection 
with court acquired the refinement and culture of the best French 
and Italian society, without rising above or severing himself from 
the people to whom he belonged. He could appreciate genuine 
worth in squire or ploughman, purity and courtesy whether in knight 
or in the poor country parson. All were his fello>vmen, and he 
S3rmpathized with all. He had known every change of fortune, of 
wealth and want, and his poetry often reflects his state for the time 
being; but even in his old age, when poor, infirm, and alone, his 
irrepressible buoyancy of spirts did not desert him. 

Freshness and simplicity cf style, roguish humour, quaint fun, 
hearty praise of what is good and true, kindly ridicule of weakness 
and foibles, and earnest denunciation of injustice and Oppression, are 
among his most marked characteristics. 



I 



ESSAY ON THE LANGUAGE OF CHAUCER. 



The age of Chaucer marks an epoch in the history of our language, 
when what is called the New English arose from the complete 
fusion of the Norman French with the speech of the conmion 
people. 

So long as our kings retained their continental possessions, and 
our nobles ruled England as a conquered country, looking to 
Normandy, Picardy, and Anjou as their fatherland, whence they 
continually recruited their numbers, the union of the races was 
impossible ; but with the final loss of Normandy by King John in 
1204 the relations of the two countries were changed, and in the 
reign of Edward I. and Edward III. the Norman barons were 
compelled by circumstances to consider this their home, and France 
a land to be reconquered by the arms of their English fellow- 
citizens and subjects. The change of sentiment required, however, 
time for its completion. For two or three generations the nobles felt 
themselves a superior race and clung to their own language, dis- 
daining to adopt one which they had been accustomed to look on 
as fit only for " villans and burghers." Though they could not 
abstain from intercourse with the common people, the separation of 
language persisted, and served to mark the man of rank from the 
plebeian. 

In the metrical chronicle of Robert of Gloucester, which from 
internal evidence must have been written later than a.d. 1280, and 
is referred by Mr. K. Oliphant to about a.d. 1300, it is plainly 
asserted, that to speak French was in his time considered a mark of 
good breeding; 

*' Vor bote a man couthe French me toltli of hym wel lute, 
Ac lowe men holdeth to Engliss, and to her owe speche yute ; 
Ich wene ther ne be man in world contreyes none 
That ne holdeth to her kunde speche bote Engelond one ; 
Ac wel me wot vor to conne bothe wel yt ys, 
Vor the more that a man can the more worth e he is." 

[For unless a man ki^ow French one thinks but little of him. 
But low men hold to English, and to their own speech well ; 

9 



10 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

I believe there are no men in the countries of the world 
That do not hold to their native speech but England only; 
But well I know that it is well to understand both. 
For the more that a man knows the more worth (able) he is.] 

The blending of the languages began with the fourteenth century. 
The ballads of Lawrence ^linot, composed probably at intervals 
between 1330 and 1360, and the " Vision of Piers Plo^^^nan," which 
seems to have been written soon after 1365, contain an infusion of 
French w^ords; but the effects of the complete coalescence of the 
two peoples, and the impulse it gave to the development of the 
common language, are to be seen in the poems of Gower and his 
friend Chaucer, which belong to the latter part of the fourteenth 
century. The translation of the Bible into English by Wycliffe at 
the same time served to raise the literary character and to fix the 
grammatical forms of the language, which had been passing through 
a period of rapid changes. 

The old system of inflexions had been undergoing a process of 
disintegration, the several endings in 6, a, e«, and an, by which 
cases and numbers, moods and adverbs, had hitherto been distin- 
guished, were fast being for the most part replaced by the single form 
of e, partly as a result of a law in every language that words become 
worn down by use, like pebbles in a water-course smoothed and 
rounded by friction, — a change which proceeds most rapidly in the 
absence of a written literature, and tends to convert synthetic or in- 
flected into analytic or uninflected languages; and partly in obedience 
to a law less general, only because its conditions are not universal, \iz. 
that when two races speaking different languages are merged into one, 
they, though freely using one another's words, being unable to agree 
as to their inflections, end by discarding such syllables altogether so 
far as can be done without loss of perspicuity. 

To this law may be referred the triumph of the plural sign s or 
es over en or an, since French and English found themselves here at 
least at one, and the same may be said of the prefixes un and in, 
and the suffixes able and ihle. 

This detrition of inflexions, as we may call it, culminated in the 
Elizabethan era in the almost total loss of the final e, before the 
expedients for distinguishing infinitives from participles, adverbs 
from adjectives, &c., had been reduced to rule. Its loss becomes a 
stumbling-block to readers of Shakespeare and his contemporaries 
scarcely less grievous than its retention does to those of Chaucer, 
appearing in the guise of inexplicable anomalies, and of seeming 

(59) 



ESSAY ON THE LANGTTAGE. 11 

violations of the most ordinary grammatical rules, which have been 
.laboriously cleared up by Dr. Abbott in his admirable Shakespearian 
Grammar. 

But though the new English had fairly established itself as a 
national and literary language it was still in a state of rapid growth 
and development, destined to undergo considerable changes in 
grammar, and even more in orthography, ere it settled down into 
the form which it has retained without any material alteration from 
the time of the Stuarts to the present day. 

When Chaucer wrote printing was not yet invented ; a number 
of scribes, whose attainments did not perhaps go beyond the mere 
mechanical art of writing, were accustomed to work together while 
one read aloud the book to be copied, and each spelling as he was in 
the habit of pronouncing, and probably not seldom misapprehending 
the meaning of the author, it was inevitable that countless variations 
should arise in the text, some representing the sound of the spoken 
word, others the changes which had taken place in the pronuncia- 
tion between the dates of the original MS. and the particular copy> 
and others still such clerical blunders as are even now familiar to 
every one who has had to correct the proofs of any literary work. 

After the sixteenth century, when our language had become 
stereotyped as it were in grammar and orthography, various 
attempts were made to modernize the spelKng of so popular a p^et 
as Chaucer so as to make him intelligible to ordinary readers, but 
with the most unhappy results ; the men who undertook the task 
being almost entirely ignorant of the essential features of the 
language of the original work. 

With a prose writer the consequences might not have been more 
serious than the loss to posterity of an invaluable philological land- 
mark; but where metre and rime were involved, the result has 
been the entire destruction of all that constitutes the outward form 
of poetry ; while by the subsequent attempts of editors to restore to 
the mangled verses something like metrical rhythm, the language 
itself has been wrested and corrupted to an extent which would 
have rendered hopeless all idea of its restoration, were it not that in 
the Harleian MS. 7334 we possess a copy executed by a com- 
petent hand very shortly after the author's death, and though not 
free from clerical errors, on the whole remarkably correct. The 
late learned antiquary Mr. Thomas Wright adopted it in his 
edition, with a few emendations ; but since the publication by Mr. 
F. T. Furnivall of his six-text edition of Chaucer we have the 
(59) B 



12 THE KIsnGHTES Tx\LE. 

means of collating it with the Ellesmere, Hengwrt, Corpus, Lans- 
downe, Petworth, and Cambridge MSS. Dr. Morris has availed 
himself of the first three in his edition of the "Prologue, the 
Knightes and the Xonnes Tales " (Clarendon Press Series) ; but 
though he has consulted the last three also in cases of difi&culty, he 
has found them of little real use. 

Chaucer himself seems to have had forebodings of the mutilations 
which were to befall his works, having already suffered from the 
negligence of his amanuensis, for in the closing stanzas of his 
*' Troilus and Cressida," he says, 

" Go litel booke, go litel tragedie, 
And for ther is so grete diversite 
In Englisch and in writing of our tong. 
So pray I God that non miswritg thee, 
Ne thee misnietre for defaut of tong. 
And rede wherso thou be or eles song 
That thou be understond." 

And in language more forcible than elegant he imprecates a curce 
on this unlucky man — 

•* Adam Scrivener, if eveve it thee bifal 
Boece or Troilus for to \vrit6 new, 
Under thy long lokkes maist thou have the scall, 
But after my making thou write more trew. 
• So ofte a day I mote thy werke renew. 

It to correct and eke to rubbe and scrape. 
And al is thorow thy negUgence and rape." 



HISTOEY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE^ TO THE 
TIME OF CHAUCER 

The term Anglo-Saxon, which is currently used to designate the 
language supposed to have been spoken by our forefathers before 
the Norman Conquest, is an invention of modern times, and has not 
even the advantage of convenience to recommend it. 

It was not until the close of the thirteenth and beginning of the 
fourteenth century, when the fusion of races was followed by the 
rise of a truly national spirit and an outburst of literary actiWty, 
that a national language had any existence. The greater part of 
the thirteenth century was a period of dearth and degradation, a 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 13 

dark age to the student and lover of our glorious tongue. What 
little was written was in Latin or French, English being considered 
not only by the proud nobles, but unhappily also by a pedantic 
priesthood, as unworthy of cultivation, and consequently, being 
relegated to the ignorant peasantry, it suffered the loss of thousands 
of good old words. Hitherto the clergy had written in the 
language of the people to whom they belonged, and had produced 
many works of great literary merit. These, however, may be easily 
recognized as belonging to two great dialectic divisions — a north- 
eastern and south-western, besides minor subdivisions. The great 
sundering line may roughly be drawn from Shrewsbury through 
Northampton and Bedford to Colchester, and represents the original 
partition of the country between the Angles and the Saxons. On 
the former fell the full force of the Danish invasions, and as we go 
further north we find the proportion of Scandinavian words and 
forms to increase. 

Ih the earliest times these languages were almost as distinct as 
High German and Low German (Piatt Deutsch), and the so-called 
Anglo-Saxon dictionaries confound and mingle the two without dis- 
tinction. The infusion of Danish or Norse into the Anglian led natur- 
ally to a clipping and paring down of inflections, a feature common to 
all mixed languages; whereas the speech of Wessex, the kingdom of 
Alfred, preserved much longer its rich inflectional character. Yet 
even these south-western people seem to have called themselves 
English rather than Saxons. At any rate King Alfred tells us 
that his people called their speech English, and Robert of Gloucester 
says of English, " The Saxones speche yt was, and thorw hem 
ycome yt ys." Bede, an Angle, calls them Saxons, but the word is 
of rare occurrence before the thirteenth century. Procopius in the 
sixth century calls them Frisians. 

It is, however, from the East Midland chiefly that the new English 
arose, where the monks of Peterborough compiled the history of 
England in English, in chronicles which were copied and scattered 
throughout the land. Their dialect incorporating all that was good 
from the others laid the foundation of that literary language which, 
again taking up a large French element, was destined to become the 
speech of the nation at large. 

Early in the fourteenth century Robert of Brunne, called also 
Robert Manning, living in Rutland, in the same linguistic province 
as the monks of Peterborough, wrote The Handlyng Synne, which 
marks an era in the history of our language and literature. In it 



14 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

may be seen actually or foreshadowed every feature of language, 
idiom, and grammar which distinguishes the English of to-day from 
that of King Alfred and from the Teutonic languages of the Con- 
tinent. His English is no longer inflectional but analytic, the 
difference being one of kind not of degree merely, as was the case 
in the Old Anglian when compared with the speech of the West 
Saxons. Of the language of The Handlyng Synne we may say as 
Sir Philip Sidney did of the Elizabethan age, " English is void of 
those cumbersome differences of cases, genders, moods, and tenses, 
which I think was a piece of the Tower of Babylon's curse, that a 
man should be put to schoole to learne his mother tongue ; but for 
the uttering sweetly and properly the conceit of the'minde, which is 
the ende of speech, that it hath equally with any other tongue in 
the world." 

Of scarcely less value as marking another feature of our present 
language is the Ana en Riide, written about 1220 b}^ a learned 
prelate, into which French and Latin words are imported wholesale. 
Chaucer has been accused of corrupting our language; but if we 
compare his works with the Ancren Biwle, written a century and a 
half earlier, we shall find that the affectation of Erench words and 
idioms by the author of the Ehcle, an example which for nearly a 
hundred years none had dared to follow, puts Chaucer rather in the 
light of a restorer of our language, and justifies Spenser's description 
of him as "a well of English undefiled." He did not affect a 
retrograde course, but endeavoured to develop the new powers 
which English had acquired from this "happy marriage," the fruit 
of which has been described by none in more glowing terms than 
by the profound German scholar Grimm. " None of the modern 
languages has through the very loss and decay of all phonetic laws, 
and through the dropping of nearly all inflections, acquired greater 
force and vigour than the English, and from the fulness of those 
vague and indefinite sounds which may be learned but can never 
be taught, it has derived a power of expression such as has never been 
at the command of any human tongue. Begotten by a surprising 
union of the two noblest languages of Europe, the one Teutonic, the 
other Romanic, it received that wonderfully happy temper and 
thorough breeding, where the Teutonic supplied the material 
strength, the Romanic the suppleness and freedom of expression. 
. . . In wealth, in wisdom, and strict economy, none of the 
living languages can vie with it." Such being the character of the 
language in which Chaucer wrote, it is not necessary to give in 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 15 

detail the grammatical forms and inflections of the older English 
dialects. 

It will be sufficient to indicate such as were still in use, but have 
been subsequently dropped or so worn down as to be no longer 
easily recognized, and to show at the same time how these are 
modified by the necessities of metrical composition, so as to be lost 
to the ear though properly retained in the orthography, in accord- 
ance with rules of prosody not unlike those familiar to readers of 
Latin and French poetry, and which held their ground more or 
less in English down to the time of Milton. 

The use of the final e in the language of the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries presents the greatest difficulty to all who are 
unacquainted with the grammatical construction of the early and 
middle English. It was not, as it now is, a merely conventional 
sign for marking the long sound of the preceding vowel, as in the 
modern words bar and hare, for which purpose it is indifferent 
whether it is placed at the end of the syllable or immediately before 
the vowel to be lengthened, as in hare or hear, sere or seer; nor was 
it, as in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, inserted or omitted 
at the whim of the writer or convenience of the printer, when 
we may often see the same word spelled with and without it in the 
same or consecutive lines ; nor was it, as in the artificial would-be 
antiquated diction of Spenser's Faerie Queene, employed without 
any certain rule either as " an aping of the ancients," as Ben 
Jonson called it, or for lengthening out the line to the number of 
syllables required by the peculiar metre borrowed from the Italian 
poets, and to which the more rigid English tongue would otherwise 
have refused to bend; but it was a real grammatical inflection, 
marking case and number, distinguishing adverbs from the corre- 
sponding adjectives, and in certain verbs of the "strong" form 
representing the -en of the older plural, e.g. he spah, tkei spaJce, for 
spaJcen, like the German er sprach, sie sprachen; so that to write, as 
the modernized texts have it, he spake, would be a blunder as gross 
as the converse they speaks would be now, and to pronounce they 
spake as we do is to rob the line of a syllable and the verse of its 
rhythm and metre, and, if the word be at the end, it may be of its 
rime, as for instance where the indirect objective cases time and 
Rome rime with hy me and to me. 

The following summary of the peculiar features of Chaucer's 
grammar is founded on the essay of Prof. Child, and Dr. Morris' 
Introductin.n to his Chaucer's Prologue, &c., mentioned above. 



16 THE KXIGIiTES TALE. 

NOUNS. 

Number. — 1. The plural is mostly formed by adding -es, pro- 
nounced as a distinct syllable. 

** And with his strem^s dryeth in the grev^s 
The silver drojpes hongyng on the leves." 

Knightes Tale, IL 637-8. 

-s, which has now almost entirely replaced the -es, was as a role 
used only in words of more than one syllable and in those ending 
with a liquid, as palmers, pilgrims, naciouns, &c. 

Such forms as bestis, othus, are probably the provincial or dialecti- 
cal usages of the scribes employed. 

2. Some nouns form their plurals in -en or -n (the -an of O.E.), as 
asschen, been (bees), eyghen (eyes) [Scot, een], ion (arrows), schoon 
(shoes), [Scot, shoon], and oxen; fon or foon (foes), and l-yn, which 
remained till the seventeenth century as Jcine. 

J3. Brethren, children, with the obsolete doughtren and sistren, are 
formed by adding -n to an older plural form in O.E. -e, A.S. -v.. 
The O.E. childre, &c., persists as childer, &c., in the provincial dialect 
of the northern counties. 

4. Deer, scheep, sicin have never had a plural termination; foU:, 
hors, night, thing, and yeer or yer have acquired such only in recent 
times, the plural in the earlier ages of our language having had the 
same form as the singular. 

5. Feet, men, geese, teeth are plurals formed by a vowel change 
only. 

Case. — 1. The possessive case singular is formed by adding -es 
(now mostly -s). 

" Ful worthi was he in his lord^s vverre." Prol 1. 47. 

2. The possessive plural had the same form, foxes tales, raennes 
wittes. But when the nominative ended in -en it was sometimes 
unchanged, as "his eyghen sight." 

3. In O.E. fader, brother, doughter were uninflected in the posses- 
sive case; thus "my fader soule," Prol. 781; ''h other sone," 
K. T. 2226. 

4. Some old feminines of the Saxon 1st declension, which made 
their possessives in -an, had dropped the termination ; thus we find 
ladye grace, sonne upriste (rising), herte blood, wideice sone, and we 
still speak of Lady day and Lady bird. 

5. The indirect objective (dative) occurs sometimes as a distinct 
case, and ends in -e, as holte, bedde, &c, 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 17 

ADJECTIVES 

Now uninflected had in early English two forms, the definite and 
indefinite, the former used after demonstrative adjectives, of which 
the so-called definite article is one, and possessive pronouns (thus 
differing from the modern German usage), and the indefinite in all 
other circumstances. In Saxon each was declined, but in Chaucer 
the only inflection is found in the definite form which ends in -e, as 
"the yonge sorine," "his halfe cours." This -e is however generally 
dropped in words of more than one syllable. 

The vocative case of adjectives is distinguished by an -e, as 
''leece brother," K. T. 326, "0 stronge God," except in words of 
French origin, and therefore of recent introduction, as ^^ gentil 
sire." 

Degrees of Comparison, — The comparative is generally formed 
as .now by adding -er to the positive. The O.E. termination was 
-re, which is retained in derre (dearer), ferre (farther), nerve (nearer), 
sorre (sorer). 

Lenger, strenger, and the extant elder are examples of inflection 
together with vowel change. 

Bet (bettre or better) and mo (for mo^-e) are contracted forms. 

The superlative is made by adding -este or -est to adjectives and 
-est to adverbs ; hext (highest), and next, extant (nighest), are con- 
tractions. 

The plural is formed by adding -e, not -es, '^smale fowlSs," Prol. 9 ; 
but adjectives of more* than one syllable, and all when used predi- 
catively, drop the -e. Some French words form the plural in -es, as 
" places delitahles.^^ 

Demonstratives. 

In O.E. the so-called definite article the was in the plural thOf 
a form occasionally, though very rarely, used by Chaucer. The 
neuter singular was that, but except in the phrases " that oon" and 
" that other," contracted into toon and tother, Chaucer never uses 
that otherwise than as we do now. 

He frequentljT- employs tho for those, as "^Ao wordSs," and "oon 
of tho that," and he writes the plural of this as thise, thes, or these 
indiscriminately. 

Atte, a word of very frequent occurrence, is a corruption of the 
Saxon at tham, the old objective, O.E. attan, atta, masc. and neut., 
otter, fern., "attg beste," '' atte Bow." 



18 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Thilke - the like (A.S. thyllic, thylc), " thiim text," Prol. 182, 
= that text. Swich, Prol. 3, and siJce, Prol. 245 (A.S. swylk = siua 
lyh) — so like, our such. 

That like = the same (A.S. ilk). Scotch, " Graham of that i'ZA:," i.e. 
of that same clan or place [must not be confounded with the Scotch 
ilka, A.S. cbIc = each]. Same did not come, into use till about the 
year 1200. 

Som , , . som = one . . . another. 

" He moot ben deed, the kyng as schal a page; 
Som in his bed, som in the deep6 see, 
Som in the largfi feeld, as men may se." 

Knightes Tale, 21Z2-4. 

PRONOUNS. 

Singular. Plural. 

( Nom. I, Ich, Ik, 




< Poss. min (myn), mi (my), 
( Obj. me, 
( Nom. thou (thow), ( ye. 

< Poss. thin (thyn), thi (thy), < your, youre, 
( Obj. the, thee. ( yow, you. 

Masc. Fern. Neut All Genders. 

Nom. he, she, hit, it, yt, thei, they. 

Poss. his, hire, hir, his, here, her, hir. 

Obj. him, hire, hir, here, hit, it, yt, hem. 

Independent or predicative forms are min (pi. mine) ; oure, oures; 
thin (pi. thine) ; youre, y oures; hire, heres (hers) ; here, heres (theirs). 
The forms owres and y oures were borrowed from the Northern 
dialect. ' 

Thou is often joined to its verb, as schaltow, woldestow, Nonne 
Prestes Tale, 525 ; crydestow, Knightes Tale, 225. 

The objective (dative) cases of pronouns are used after imper- 
sonal verbs, as " me mette ; " " him though te ; " after some verbs of 
motion, as "goth him;" "he rydeth him;" and after such words as 
wel, wo, loth, and leef. 

Whos {whose) and ivhom are the possessive and objective cases of 
9vho. 

Which is joined with that, thus, "Hem whiche that wepith;'* 
"His love the which that he oweth." Alone it sometimes stands for 
what or what sort of, as — 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 19 

" Which a miracle ther befel anoon." 

Knightes Tale, 1817. 

** And whiche they weren, and ofivhat degre." 

Prol. 40. 

What is used for why like the Lat. quid, 

" What schulde he studie and make hiniselven wood?" 

Prol. 184. 

That is sometimes used with a personal pronoun along with itj 
thus — 

** A knight ther was, and that a worthi man, 
That from the tym6 that he first began 
To ryden out, /le lovede chivalrye." 
Prol. 43-45. 

** Al were they sor6 hurt, and namely oon, 
That with a spere was thirled his brest boon." 
Knightes Tale, 1851-2. 

In the second instance, that his = whose. 

Who and ivho so are used indefinitely in the same way as our 
*^one says," "As who seith," " Who so that can him rede," Prol. 
741. 

Men and the shortened form me, which must not be confounded 
with the objective of 7, were used from a very early period down to 
the seventeenth century in the sense of '* one," like the Grerman 
"ma?^ sagt," &c., and the French "on dit," &c. "Me tolth''' in 
the passage quoted from Robert of Gloucester (see page 15) is 
an instance, and one of the latest is to be found in Lodge's Wits 
Miserie, 

*' And stop me (let one stop) his dice, you are a villaine." 

VERBS. 

I. The so-called weak verbs, or those which form the past tense 
by the addition of the suffix -ed, were thus declined : — 

Present Tense. 

SINGULAR. PLURAL. 

1. I love, We lov-en or lov6. 

2. Thou lov-est, Ye lov-en or love. 

3. He lov-eth, They lov-en or lov6. 

Past Tense. 

1. I lov-ede, We lov-eden, lov-ede. 

2. Thou lov-edest, You lov-eden, lov-ede. 

3. He lov-ede, * They lov-eden, lov-ede 



20 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

The MSS. of Chaucer's poetical works frequently have lovedj 
those of his prose very rarely. 

In some, as the Harl. MS., we find has for hast, dos for dost, an 
evidence of the influence of the Northumbrian, in which the 2nd 
pers. sing, ended in -es, and we sometimes meet with the ter- 
mination -eth in the 3rd plur. pres., simulating the singular, owing to 
the fact of that being the plural inflexion of all three persons in the 
southern counties = -ath in A. Sax. 

** And over his heed ther schyneth two figures." 

Knightes Tale, 1185, Harl. MS. 

We often find -th for -eth, as spel'th for speJcetK 

Saxon verbs whose roots end in -cZ, -t, and rarely in -s, are con- 
tracted in the 3rd sing, pres., as sit for sitteth, writ for writeth, 
halt for holdeth, fint for jindetJi, stont for stondeth (stands), and 
rist for riseth. 

II. Some verbs of the weak conjugation form the past tense by 
adding -de or -te instead of -ede, as he^^en, herde; hiden, hidde ; 
Jcejpen, Jcepte; but if the root end in d or t, preceded by another con- 
sonant, -e only is added instead of -de and -te, as wenden, wende; 
sterten, stertej letten (to hinder), lette. 

III. In some verbs forming a link between the weak and strong 
conjugations we have a change of the vowel root together with the 
addition of the suffix -de or te, as sellen, solde; tellen, tolde; seche 
(to seek), soughte; and others in which modem English has aban- 
doned the vowel change, as delerij dalte (dealt) ; lederij ladde (led) : 
leveUf lafte (left). 

The Strong Verbs 

Are those which form the past tense by merely changing the root 
vowel, as sterien, to die, starf, and the past part, by the addition of 
-en or e, besides a vowel change which may or may not be the same 
as in the past tense, as storven or storve (O.E. ystorven). Cf. Ger. 
sterbeUf starb, gestorben. 

The 1st and 3rd persons singular of the past tense had no final e, 
as printed in some modem editions ; the three persons plural ended 
in -en or -e, and the 2nd person singular in -e, frequently dropped, or 
occasionally in -est. 

Some strong verbs had two forms for the past tense, one simple 
and the other taking the suffix of weak verbs — 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 21 

Present. Past. 

Weep, wep or wepte. 

Creep, crep or crept e. 

A number of the older verbs of this conjugation, in which the 
root vowel of the past participle was not the same as that of the past 
tense, employed it in the plural of the latter thus — 

Sterven^ past sing, starf^ p. plur. stormn; p. part. (y)storven, 

mderij „ . rood ov rod, „ riden; ,,. {y)riden. 

Smiten, „ smoot; „ smiten; „ (y)smiten. 

This difference between the numbers was soon lost. 

Subjunctive. 

The present singular ends in -e, the plural in -en; the past 
singular in -ede, -de, or -te, the plural in -eden, -den, or -ten, in all the 
persons ; except in a few such forms as spelce we, go we. 

Imperative. 

The only inflections are an -eth, or occasionally an -e in the 
2nd pers. plural ; and in verbs conjugated like tellen and loven, an 
-€ in the singular also. 

The Infinitive. 

Originally the infinitive ended in -en (the Saxon -an), but the -n 
was often dropped, leaving an -e only, a change which began in the 
south. 

The so-called gerund, really the objective (dative) case of the 
infinitive, and known by being preceded by to, in the sense of " for 
the purpose of," "in order to," &c., was formed from the former 
by adding -e, and must not in its full or contracted forms be con- 
founded with the infinitive. 

Ex. to doon-e — to don-ne. In Prol. 134, "no ferthing sene'^^—for 
to senne. In 1. 720, "/or to telle " is the gerund also, but the -n has 
been discarded. 

The present participle usually ends in -yng, or -ynge when the 
rime demands it. Originally the participle ended in -inde or -ind in 
the south, -ande or -and (occasionally met with in Chaucer) in the 
north, both forms being employed in the east midland. 

Verbal nouns were formed by the termination -ung or later -ing^ 



22 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

and then the participles were assimilated to them by changing -inde 
and -ind into -ynge^ -yi^9, or -ing, as in our present language. 

The infinitive in -an or -en was also under certain circumstances 
reduced to the same termination -ing, and the several forms co- 
existing in our language present much difficulty to students. 

The past participle of weak verbs ends in -ed or -d, or occasionally 
in -et or -t ; of strong verbs in -en or -e, with change of the root vowel 
in some, and they are all sometimes preceded by the old prefix y-, i- 
(A.S. ge-), as i-ronne, i-falle, y-clept. 

Anomalous Verbs. 
Those whose inflexions cannot be brought under any rule, some of 
which are defective, and others, as to go, whose wanting parts are 
made up by borrowing the corresponding members of others, are the 
truly irregular verbs. This name has also been most unhappily given 
by grammarians trained in the schools of Greek and Latin to those 
of the strong conjugation because they aro the most removed from 
the inflectional systems of those languages; whereas they are the 
most characteristic of the Teutonic family, and in that sense the 
more regular. Words taken from the Latin are thus instinctively 
in every instance referred to the weak conjugation as the less 
peculiarly Teutonic of the two. 

1. Ben, been, to be; 1st sing. pres. ind. am; 2nd, art; 3rd, is; 
plur. heen, aren, are; past, was- ivast, icas, and were; imp. sing, he, 
pi. heth; p. part, ben, been. 

This, the " verb substantive," is in fact made up of portions of 
three distinct verbs, which long coexisted in different dialects or 
even in the same so late as the seventeenth century, as may be seen 
in the A.V. of the Bible and in Milton, and to this day among the 
peasantry, ^ 

2. Conne, to know or to be able; pres. ind., 1st, can; 2nd, can or 
canst; 3rd, can; pi. connen, conne; past, 1st and 3rd, coutke, coivthe, 
cowde; p.p. couth, coud. The I in the modern word has been 
inserted through a false analogy with would and should. 

3. Darren, dare; pres. ind., dar, darst, dar; pi. dar, dor re; past, 
dorste, durste. 

4. May; pres. ind. sing., 1st and 3rd, may, mow; 2nd, mayst or 
maist; pi. mowen, mowe; pres. subj. mowe; past tense, 1st and 3rd, 
mighte, moghte. 

5. Mot, must, may; ind. pres. sing., 1st and 3rd, wiof, moot; 2nd 
must, moot; pi. mooten, moote; past tense, moste. 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 23 

6. Owen^ to owe (moral obligation) ; pres. owetJi; past, ovghte, 
aughte; pi. oughten, oughte. 

7. Sckal, shall (compulsion); pres. ind. sing., 1st and 3rd, schal; 
2nd, schalt; pi. schullen, sckuin, sJiul; past, schvlde, scholde. 

8. Thar, need (Ger, diirfen); pres. ind. sing, thar; past, thurte; 
subj. 3rd, ther. 

9. Witen, to know ; pres. ind. sing., 1st and 3rd, wat, icot; 2nd, 
ivost; pi. witen, wite; wootej past, wiste. 

10. PFt?, wiU; pres. ind. sing., 1st, iville, wil, tvoUe, wol; 2nd, tviltj 
wolt; 3rd, wile, wole, wol; pi. woln, willen, wille; past, wolde. 

It has the full meaning of the Latin volo, e.g. " Owre swete Lord 
of heven, that no man wU periache^^ (i.e. neminem vult perdere), 
Persones Tale. 

Negative Yekbs. 

Nam = am not. Nylle, nyl — will not. 

' Nys — is not. Nolde — would not. 

Nas — was not. Nab, not, noot — knows not. 

Nei-e — were not. Nost = knowest not. 

Natk r= hath not. Nyste, nysten = knew not. 
Nadde, nade — had not. 

ADVERBS. 

1. Adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding -e to the latter, 
as h'ighte, brightly ; deepe, deeply ; loice, lowly. This is the explan- 
ation of the seeming use of the adjective for the adverb in modern 
English, and which is called by some grammarians the "flat 
adverb." 

2. Others are formed as now by adding -lyche or -ly, as schortly, 
rudelyche, pleynly. 

3. And a few have e before the -ly, as holdely, trewely, softely. 

4. Some end in -en or -e, as ahoven, ahore; ahouten, aboute; 
withoaten, withoute; siththen, siththe, since. Many have dropped the 
-n, retaining the -e only, as asondre, behynde, bynetM, biyonde, 
bytwene, henne (hence), thenne (thence), ofte in Chaucer, though 
often is the more usual form at present, selde (seldom), soone. 

5. Adverbs in -es\ needes, needs; ones, once; twies or tide, twice; 
thries, thrie, thrice; unnethes, scarcely; whiles, bysides, togideres; 
kennes, hence; thennes, thence; whennes, whence; agaynes, ayens, 
against; amonges, among, amongst; amyddes, amidst. 

6. Of-newe, anew, newly (cf, of yore, of late) ; ' as-now, at present,* 



24 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

on slepe, asleep (fell on sleep, A.Y. Acts xiii. 36) (cf. on Tionting, a 
hunting, &c.). 

7. There and then occasionally stand for where and when, 

8. As, used before in, to, for, hy, — considering, with respect to, 
so far as concerns. 

" As in so litel space." Prol. 87. 

As is used before the imperative in supplicatory phrases — 

•* As keep me fro thi vengeaunce and thin yre." K. T. 1444. 
'" As send6 love and pees betwixe hem two." K. T. 1459. 

(Cf. u^e of que in French.) 

9. But, only (be-out) takes a negative before it. "I nam hut 
deed." K. T. 416. Cf. again the French, " Je ne suis que . . ." 

10. Two or more negatives do not make an affirmative. This is 
the usage of the A.S., and still holds its ground among "uneducated" 
persons. 

•' He nevere ylt no vileinye ne sayde 
In al his lyf unto no maner wight." Prol. 70, 71. 

PEEPOSITIONS. 

Occasionally til = to (cf. the German his), unto = until, up = 
upon, and uppon = on. 

CONJUNCTIONS. 

Ne . . . ne = neither . . . nor ; other . . . other = either o . . or 
(cf. Ger. oder) ; what . . . and = both . . . and. 

THE FINAL E. 

The use and meaning of the final e in the several parts of speech 
may be thus summed up. 

In many nouns and adjectives it represents the Anglo-Saxon 
terminations in -a, -e, or -u, and is then always sounded : asse and 
cuppe = A.S. assa and cuppa; herte and mare = A.S. heorte and 
mare; hale and wod>e — A.S. healu and wudu; dere and drye = A.S. 
deore and dryge. 

It is sounded when it stands as the sign of the objective indirect 
(or dative) case, as roote, hreethe, heethe (Prol. 2, 5, 6), and in ledde 
and hrigge, from hed and hrig. 

It is sounded when it marks — 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 25 

(a) The definite form of the adjective, " the yonge sonne." 
Prol. 7. 

(6) The plural of adjectives, " smale fowles." Prol. 9c 

(c) The vocative of adjectives, *'0 stronge god!" K. T. 1515. 

In verbs it is sounded when it represents the older termination 
'671 or -an as a sign of — 

{a) The infinitive, as to " seehe, telle.'' Prol. 17, 38. 
(6) The "gerund," as "56716." Prol. 134. 

(c) The past participle, as " i-ronne, i-falle'' Prol. 8, 25. 

{d) And in the past tenses of weak verbs in -de or -te^ as wenU, 
cowde, wolde, fedde^ wepte. 

It is sounded in adverbs where it — 

(a) Eepresents older vowel- endings, as sone, twie, thrie. 

(b) Marks the adverb from the corresponding adjective, as faire, 
righte — fairly, rightly. 

(e) When it stands for the O.E. -en, A.S. am ahoute, above, 
O.E. abouten, aboven, A.S. abutan, abufan, 

(d) When followed by -ly in the double adverbial ending -ely, as 
kertely, lustely, semely, trewely. 

It is silent in the past tenses of weak verbs in -ec?e, — ed, as lovede, 
Prol. 97. 

It is mostly silent in — 

(a) The personal pronouns oure, youre, hii^e, here, 

(^) And in many words of more than two syllables. 

The final unaccented e in words of French origin is generally 
silent, but often sounded as in French verse. The scanning of each 
particular line must decide. 

YEESIFICATION. 

The poetry of the G-reeks and Romans was purely metrical. In 
their languages the distinction between long and short vowels was 
strongly marked, and the lines were composed of a definite number 
of feet, the feet consisting of two or more syllables long or short 
following one another in a regular order. Rimes when they occurred 
accidentally were looked on as faults. 

In the later and debased age of the Latin language, when the 
proiidnciation became corrupted, the regular metres gave way to 
verses composed of a fixed number of syllables, guided by accent 
rather than quantity, and with rimes in regular order. 



26 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

This form of versification first appears in the later Latin hymns 
of the Western Church, and was adopted from the first in the poetrv 
of the Romance languages. 

Quite different was the verse employed by the early Germanic 
and Scandinavian poets, its distinctive feature being alliteration. 
Two more or less emphatic words in the first,, and one in the second 
line of each couplet began with the same consonant. 

In the north and west of England the alliterative verse held its 
ground so late as the fifteenth century, but in the southern and 
eastern shires the riming verse was employed in the thirteenth. 

The Vision of Pier's Plowman (a.d. 1362) is a good example of 
alliterative verse. 

" I was weori of wandringe, 
And went me to reste 
Under a brod banke 
Bi a bourne syde. 
And as I lay and leonede 
And lokede on the watres, 
I slumberde in a slepynge, 
Hit sownede so murie." 



In this extract the words in italics constitute the alliteration, the 
others, as was in the first, Bi in the fourth, and so in the last, are 
unemphatic, and contain the characteristic letter of each couplet 
only by accident. 

Chaucer, a man of general culture, living in the south-eastern 
counties, and familiar with the poetry of Italy and France, naturally 
chose the metrical and riming style of verse. 

His Canterbury Tales (except those of Melibeus and the Persone, 
which are in prose) are written in what is commonly called the 
heroic couplet. The lines consist of ten syllables, of which the 
second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth are accented, or as the 
classical scholar would express it, they consist of five iambs. Very 
often, oftener indeed than is noticed by the ordinary reader, there is 
an eleventh and unaccented syllable at the end, the verse being then 
identical with iambic trimeter catalectic of the Greek and Latin 
poets; and far more rarely there are but nine syllables, an un- 
accented odd syllable beginning the line, and followed by four 
iambs. 

To take a few unequivocal examples from the Prologue. Tlio 
typical verse is seen in 11. 19, 20 — 



k 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LAKGTJAGE. 2v 

Byfel I that in | that se | soun on | a day. 
In South I werk at | the Tab | ard as | f lay. 

The verse of eleven syllables in 11. 11, 12 — 

So prik I eth hem ! nature j in here [ corag | es, 
Thanne long | en folk J to gon | on pil j grimag ( es. 

And that of nine in 1. 391 — 

In ; a gowne | of fal | dyng to j the kne. 

The opening couplet, though generally read as decasyllabic, is 
really composed of eleven, as will be seen by a reference to the 
grammar of Chaucer — 

Whan that ] April 1 16 with | his schow | res swoot | 6, 
The drought | of Marche | hath per | ced to | the root | 6. 

The word nones, our nonce, must be read as a dissyllable in 1. 523, 
or it would not rime with non is in that following, and in 11. 21, 22, 
pilgrimage and corage are probably to be read as in French poetry, 
the third syllable lightly sounded. So in the Parson's Prologue, 
1. 17, 345, Wright's ed.— 

** Do you I plesaun | c^?e [ ful as | I can." 

Short unemphatic syllables are often slurred over, or two such 
consecutive syllables pronounced almost as one. These contractions 
may be arranged under several distinct heads. 

1. That which has entered so largely into our spoken language, 
by which wandering and icanderer are pronounced wandering and 
wand'^rer, earnest as cam'sf, &c. 

2. The synalcepha of classic prosodists, or elision of a final vowel 
before another word beginning with a vowel or a silent h. This 
was far more frequent in our early poetry than is generally known, 
and often practised by Milton in his Paradise Lost. 

3. A method of obliterating a short syllable which is of very 
common occurrence in Chaucer, though, as it seems to me, inade- 
quately explained even by Dr. Morris and other equally eminent 
commentators. The final consonant of a word ending with a short 
syllable is in reading to he attached to the initial rowel of the next. 
It will be observed that in the great majority of contractions the 
following word begins with a vowel giving a clue to the proper 
reading. 

(59) O 



28 THE KXIGHTES TALE. 

Examples of the first are — 

" And thinketh here cometh my mor [ tel en f emy." K T. 785. 
*' Sche gad , ereth flour es par : ty white . and rede." K. T. 195. 
" Schidn the , declar en, or , that thou ; go henne." K. T. 1498. 

Of the second or synalcepha are — 

"And cer | tes lord | to dbi \ den your presence." K. T. 69. 
" What schulde ; he stnd \ ie and make 1 himsel ; ven wood." Prol. 184. 

Besides countless elisions of the terminal e which would have been 
sounded had the next word begim with a consonant. 

Synaeresis, or the blending of two vowels in the middle of a word, 
is seen in — 

*' Ne stud [ ieth nat; i ley hand to ev ery man." Prol. 841. 

Where ever)/ is also contracted aiter the first method into two 
syllables. 

It is scarcely possible to scan a dozen lines without meeting an 
instance of the third mode of contraction, but a few examples may 

be given here — 

" And forth { we ride | n a Ut i el more j than pass." Prol. 819. 
" And won | derly j delyve \ r and gret i of strengthe." Prol. S4. 
" As an I y rav ' ens fethe \ r it schon | for hlak." K. T. 12S6. 
*' A man | to light | a cande \ I at his \ lanteme." 

Cant. Tales, L 5961, \Yright's edition. 

" And though \ that I j no icepe \ n have in j this place." K. T. 733, 
Thou schul I dest neve \ re out of | this grov | 6 pace." K. T. 7i4. 

Whether is frequently soimded as a single syllable, and is some- 
times written wher. 

*' I not I whether sche i be worn | man or [ godesse. " K T. 243. 
*' NTe rec ; cheth nev [ ere wher I s\-nke ; or fleete." K. T. 1539. 

"Words borrowed from the French ending in -le or -re are pro- 
nounced as in that language, with the final e mute: table, temple, 
miracle, noUe, propre, chapitre, as tahV, tempV, mirdcV, nohV, propr\ 
chapitr'; and those of more than one syllable ending in -ance 
(-aunce), -ence, -oun, -ie {-ige), -er, -ere, -age, -une, -ure, and -lie, are 
generally accented on the last syllable (not counting the silent e), as 
acqueyntaiince, resoun, manere, avauntage, (fee; but occasionally the 
accent is thrown back as in modern English, e.g. hdttaille, K. T. 



HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 29 

21 ; mdner^ Prol. 71 ; fortune, each of these words being elsewhere 
accented on the last syllable. Even some purely English words 
exhibit the same variety, as hontyng and huntyng. K. T. 821 and 
1450. 

The -ed of past participles and the -ede of past tenses are to be 
alike pronounced as a distinct syllable, -ed; thusjoercecZ, Prol. 1. 2, has 
two syllables, entuned, 1. 123, y-pinchedj 1. 151, have three, but 
lovede, 1. 97, and similar forms, are to be sounded lov-ed, Scc.j with 
two, not three syllables. 

The initial h in the several cases of the pronoun he, in the tenses 
of the verb to have, and in the word how, is so lightly sounded -as to 
admit of the elision of a final -e before it. 

" Wei cowde he dresse his takel yemanly." Prol. 106. 

Both e's would otherwise be sounded. 

In aU other words the initial h is too strongly aspirated to permit 
of this. 

Not only is the negative ne frequently shortened into an initial n- 
before am, is, hadde, [nadde], wot, [not], &c., but we meet with such 
contractions as thass for the asse, tahiden for to ahiden, &c. This 
may be merely due to the scribes. Cf. Prol. 450, where we have the 
elision in reading though not in the text. 

The metrical analysis of the first eighteen lines of the Prologue, 
given in p. 37, will be found to illustrate most of the foregoing rules 
of prosody, and will serve as a guide to the correct scanning of 
Chaucer's verse, which when read as it should be will be found as 
smooth and regular in its rhythm as any of the present day. 

In order to mark the pronunciation without deviating from the 
orthography of the best MSS. I have in this passage, as in the text 
generally, adopted the following simple devices and signs. 

The final e when naturally silent, or when, as in the words he, 
the, &c., there can be no doubt as to its pronunciation, is printed in 
small romans ; when, on the other hand, it is to be sounded where it 
is either silent or omitted in modern English, it is distinguished 
thus -e; and where an e which would be sounded under other 
circumstances is elided before a word beginning with a vowel or 
lightly aspirated h, it will be found in italics. 

Other vowels likewise when elided, whether by synaloepha or by 
any of the contractions explained above, are marked by italics. 

If at the same time it be borne in mind that the finals -es, -en^ and 



30 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

-ed, being Saxon inflections, are, unless the contrary be indicated as 
above, to be sounded as distinct syllables, and that the -ede of the 
past tense is to be pronounced -ed^ and that, with the exception of 
the few nine-syllabled verses, every line is either a perfect or a 
catalectic iambic, a little practice will enable the student to scan the 
poetry of Chaucer with ease. 

A very few irregular contractions, either poetic licenses or 
anticipations of future pronunciations, may be found, as in ProL 463. 
where "thries kadde^^ must be read as our ^^tJirice had.'''' 

"And thries | hadde sche | ben at 1 Jeru [ salem." 

I will conclude this section with a slightly altered transcription 
of Dr. Morris' remarks on the pronunciation and scanning of the 
passage on p. 37. 

1. The final e in Aprille is sounded; but it is silent in the French 
words veyne, vertue, and nature, and in Marche, holte, and kouthe, 
because followed here by a vowel or lightly aspirated h. 

2. The final e in swoote^ smale, straunge, feme, and seeTce (in the 
last line) is sounded, as the sign of the plural. 

3. The final e in roote, hreethey heethe is sounded, as the sign of the 
objective (indirect) case. 

4. The final e in swete, yonge, halfe is sounded, as the definite 
form of the adjective. 

5. The final e in sonne, ende is sounded, as representing older 
terminations, 

6. The final e in i-ronne is sounded, as representing the old and 
fuller ending of the past participle -en (y-ronnen). 

7. The final e in wende is sounded, as representing the -en of the 
plural. 

8. And in seehe (1. 17), as the -en of the older infinitive. 

7a. The full forms of the plural are found in slepen, maJcen, 

long en, and 
8a. Of the infinitive in seeJcen, in all of which it is of course 

sounded. 

9. The final -es in srhowres, croppes, fowles, halweSy strondeSj 
londes, is sounded as the inflexion of the plural ; and 

10. In schires as that of the possessive case. 

11. Vertue, licour, nature, and corages are accented on the last 
syllable of the root, as being French words of comparatively recent 
introduction into English. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 31 

Whan that | April | 16 with | his schow [ res swoot ] 6 
The drought | of Marche [ hath per | ced to | the root | 6, 
And bath | ed eve | ry veyne j in swich | licour. 
Of which I vertue | engen | dred is | the flour; 
Whan Ze | phirus | eke with | his swe | t6 breeth | g 
Enspir | ed hath | in eve | ry holte | and heeth | 6 
The ten | dre crop | pes, and | the yong | 6 sonn | 6 
Hath in | the Ram | his hal | f6 cours j i-ron [ n§, 
And smal | e fowl ] es mak | en mel | odi-e 

10 That sle j pen al | the night j with o | pen eye, 

So prik I eth hem | nature | in here | corag | ec :— 
Thanne long | en folk | to gon | on pil | grimag | es. 
And palm | ers for | to seek | en straung | e strond | es 
To fer I ne hal | wes, kouthe | in son ] dry lond | es ; 

15 And spe I cially, | from eve | ry schi | res end | 6 

Of Eng I elond, j to Gaunt | erbttry | they wend | 5, 

The ho I ly blis | ful mar | tir for | to seek | g, 

That hem 1 hath hoi 1 pen whan | that they | were seek | §. 



The Knightes Tale, or at least a poem upon the same 
subject, was originally composed by Chaucer as a separate 
work. It is not impossible that at first it was a mere transla- 
tion of the Teseide of Boccaccio, and that its present form was 
given it when Chaucer determined to assign it the first place 
among his Canterbury Tales.* 

* "The Knight's Tale is an abridged translation of a part of Boccac- 
cio's Teseide, but with considerable change in the plan, which is, per- 
haps, not much improved, and with important additions in the descrip- 
tive and the more imaginative portions of the story. These additions 
are not inferior to the finest parts of Boccaccio's work; and one of 
them, the description of the Temple of Mars, is particularly interesting, 
as proving that Chaucer possessed a power of treating the grand and 
terrible, of w^hich no modern poet but Dante had yet given an example." 
(Marsh, Origin and History of the Enghsh Language, pp. 423, 424.) '" Out 
of 2250 of Chaucer's lines, he has only translated 270 (less than one 
eighth) from Boccaccio; only 374 more lines bear a general likeness to 
Boccaccio; and only 132 more a slight likeness." (Furnivall.) 

"Several parallel lines between Chaucer's Troilus and the Knightes 
Tale show that Troilus and the original draft of the Knightes Tale, 
to which Chaucer himself gives the name of 'Palemon,' were in hand 
at about the same time." (Skeat, in Notes and Queries, Fourth Series.) 



32 THE KXIGHTES TALE. 

It may not be impleasing to the reader to see a short sum- 
mary of it, which will show with what skill Chaucer has pro- 
ceeded in reducing a poem of about ten thousand lines to a lit- 
tle more than two thousand without omitting any material cir- 
cumstance. 

The Teseide is distributed into twelve Books or Cantos. 

Bk. I. Contains the war of Theseus with the Amazons, their 
submission to him, and his marriage with Hippolyta. 

Bk. II. Theseus, having spent two years in Scythia, is re- 
proached by Perithous in a vision, and immediately returns to 
Athens with Hippolyta and her sister Emilia. - He enters the 
city in triumph; iinds the Grecian ladies in the temple of Cle- 
menzia; marches to Thebes; kills Creon, &c., and brings home 
Palemone and Arcita, who are "Damnati— ad eterna presone." 

Bk. III. Emilia, walkmg in a garden and singing, is heard 
and seen first by Ai'cita,^ who calls Palemone. They are both 
equally enamored of her. but without any jealousy or rival- 
ship. Emilia is supposed to see them at the window, and to be 
not displeased with their admiration. Arcita is released at the 
request of Perithous; takes his leave of Palemone, with em- 
braces, &c. 

Bk, ly. Arcita, having changed his name to PentJieo, goes 
into the service of Menelaus at Mycense, aud afterwards of 
Peleus at Aegina. From thence he returns to Athens and 
becomes a favorite servant of Theseus, being known to Emilia, 
though to nobody else; till after some time he is overheard 
making his complaint in a wood, to which he usually resorted 
for that purpose, by Pamphilo, a servant of Palemone. 

* In describing the commencement of this amour, which is to be the 
subject of the remainder of the poem, Chaucer has entirely departed 
from his author in three principal circumstances, and, I think, in each 
with very good reason: (1) By supposing Emilia to be seen first by 
Palemon, he gives him an advantage over his rival which makes the 
catastrophe more consonant to poetical justice; (2) the picture which 
Boccaccio has exhibited of two young princes violently enamored of 
the same object, without jealousy or rivalship, if not absolutely unnat- 
ural, is certainly very insipid and unpoetical: (,3) as no consequence is 
to follow from their being seen by Emilia at this time, it is better, I 
think, to suppose, as Chaucer has done, that they are not seen by her. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 33 

Bk. V. Upon the report of Pamphilo, Palemone begins to be 
jealous of Arcita, and is desirous to get out of prison in order 
to fight with him. This he accomplishes, with the assist- 
ance of Pamphilo, by changing clothes with Alimeto, a physi- 
cian. He goes armed to the wood in quest of Arcita, whom he 
finds sleeping. At first, they are very civil and friendly to 
each other. Then Palemone calls upon Arcita to renounce his 
pretensions to Emilia, or to fight with him. After many long 
expostulations on the part of Arcita, they fight, and are discov- 
ered first by Emilia, who -sends for Theseus. When he finds 
who they are, and the cause of their difference, he forgives 
them, and proposes the method of deciding their claim to 
Emilia by a combat of a hundred on each side, to which they 
gladly agree. 

Bk. YI. Palemone and Arcita live splendidly at Athens, and 
send out messengers to summon their friends, who arrive; and 
the principal of them are severally described, viz., Lycurgus, 
Peleus, Phocus, Telamon, &c. ; Agamemnon, Menelaus, Cas 
tor, and Pollux, &c.; Nestor, Evander, Perithous, Ulysses, 
Diomedes, Pygmalion, Minos, &c.; with a great display of 
ancient history and mythology. 

Bk. YII. Theseus declares the laws of the combat, and the 
two parties of a hundred on each side are formed. The day 
before the combat, Arcita, after having visited the temples of 
all the gods, makes a formal prayer to Mars. The prayer, 
being personified, is said to go and find Mars in his Temple in 
Thrace, which is described; and Mars, upon understanding 
the message, causes favorable signs to be given to Arcita. In 
the same manner Palemone closes his religious observances 
with a prayer to Yenus. His prayer, being also personified, sets 
out for the temple of Yenus on Mount Citherone, which is also 
described; and the petition is granted. Then the sacrifice of 
Emilia to Diana is described, her prayer, the appearance of the 
goddess, and the signs of the two fires. In the morning they 
proceed to the theatre with their respective troops, and prepare 
for the action. Arcita puts up a private prayer to Emilia, and 
harangues his troop publicly, and Palemone does the same. 



34 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Bk. YIII. Contains a description of the battle, in which 
Palemone is taken prisoner. 

Bk. IX. The horse of Arcita, being frighted by a Fury, sent 
from Hell at the desire of Tenus, throws him. However, he 
is carried to Athens in a triumphal chariot with Emilia by his 
side; is put to bed dangerously ill; and there by his own desire 
espouses Emilia. 

Bk. X. The funeral of the persons killed in the combat. 
Arcita, being given over by his physicians, makes his will, in 
discourse with Theseus, and desires that Palemone may inherit 
all his possessions and also Emilia. He then takes leave of 
Palemone and Emilia, to whom he repeats the same request. 
Their lamentations. Arcita orders a sacrifice to Mercury, which 
Palemone performs for him, and dies. 

Bk. XI. Opens with the passage of Arcita's soul to heaven, 
imitated from the Mnth Book of Lucan. The funeral of 
Arcita. Description of the wood felled takes up six stanzas. 
Palemone builds a temple in honor of him, in which his whole 
history is painted. The description of this painting is an 
abridgment of the preceding part of the poem. 

Bk. XII. Theseus proposes to carry into execution Arcita's 
will by the marriage of Palemone and Emilia. This they both 
decline for some time in formal speeches, but at last are per- 
suaded and married. The kings, &c., take their leave, and 
Palemone remains — **in gioia e in diporto con la sua dona 
nobile e cortese." 



The Knightes Tale. 



Whilom:, as olde stories tellen us, 

Ther was a dak that highte Theseus; 

Of Athenes he was lord and governour, 

And in his tyme swich a conquerour. 

That gretter was thernon under the sonne. 5 

Ful many a riche contre hadde he wonue; 

That with his wisdam and his chivalrie 

He conquerede al the regne of Femenye, 

That whilom was i-cleped Cithea; 

And weddede he the queen Ipolita, 10 

And broughte hire hoom with him in his contre 

With mochel glorie and gret solempnite, 

And eek hire youge suster Emelye. 

And thus with victorie and with melodye 

Lete I this noble duk to Athenes ryde, 15 

And al his host, in armes him biside. 

3. Governour.— It should be observed that Chaucer continually accents 
words in the Norman-French manner, on the last syllable. Thus 
we have here governour; again in the next line, conquerour; in 1. 7, 
chivalrie; in 1. 11, contre; in 1. 18, manere, &c. &c. The most re- 
markable examples are when the words end in -oun or -ing (11. 25, 
26, 35, 36). 

6. Contre is here accented on t\iQ first syllable; in 1. 11, on the last. This 

is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such 
words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of 
license, which he freely uses. 

7. Chivalrie, knightly exploits. Inl. 20, chivalry e = knights; Eng. chiv- 

alry. So also in 1. 124. 

8. Regne of Femenye.— The kingdom of the Amazons. Femenye is from 

Lat. foeminay a woman. 

9. Cithea, Scythia. 

10. Ipolita^ Shakespeare's Hippolyta, in Mids. Night's Dream. 



36 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

And certes, if it riere to long to heere, 

I wolde han told ^ow fully the manere, 

How wonnen was the regne of Femenye 

By Theseus, and by his chivalrye; 20 

And of the grete bataille for the nones 

Bytwixen Athenes and the Amazones; 

And how aseged was Ypolita, 

The faire hardy quen of Cithea; 

And of the f este that was at hire weddynge, 25 

And of the tempest at hire hoom eomynge; 

But al that thing I mot as now forbere. 

I have, God wot, a large feeld to ere, 

And wayke ben the oxen in my plough, 

The remenaunt of the tale is long inough; 30 

I wol not lette eek non of al this rowte, 

Lat every felawe telle his tale aboute, 

And lat see now who schal the soper wynne, 

And ther I lafte, I wol agayn begynne. 

This duk, of v/hom I make mencioun, 35 

Whan he was come almost unto the toun. 
In al his wele and in his moste pryde, 
He was war, as he caste his ey^y^e aside, 
Wher that ther knelede in the hye weye 
A companye of ladies, tweye and tweye, ' 40 

Ech after other, clad in clothes blake; 
But such a cry and such a woo they make, 
That in this world nys creature lyvynge. 
That herde such another weymentynge, 
And of this cry they nolde nevere stenten, 45 

Til they the reynes of his bridel henten. 



27. As now, at present, at this time. 

31. Iivolnot lette eeTc non of al this roicte, I desire not to hinder eke 

(also) none of all this company. 
43. Creature is a word of three syllables. • 
45. Nolde, would not : ne ivolde was no doubt pronounced nolde, would 

not; so nehath. hath not, was pronounced nath. 
Stenten, stop. "She stinted, and cried aye." (Romeo and Juliet, i, 

3. 48.) 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 37 

*' What folk bcD ye that at myn horn comynge 
Pertourben so my feste with cryinge ?" 
Quod Theseus, " have ya^o gret envye 
Of myn honour, that thus compleyne and crie? 50 

' Or who hath ^ow^ misboden, or offended? 
And telleth me if it may ben amended ; 
And why that ye ben clothed thus inblak? " 

The eldeste lady of hem alle spak, 
When sche hadde swowned with a dedly chere, 55 

That it was routhe for to seen or heere; 
And seyde: **Lord, to whom Fortune hath ^even 
Victorie, and as a conquerour to lyven, 
Nought greveth us youxe glorie and honour; 
But we beseken mercy and socour. 60 

Have mercy on oure woo and oure distresse. 
Som drope of pitee, thurgh thy gentilnesse, 
Uppon us wrecchede wommen lat thou falle. 
For certes, lord, ther nys noon of us alle, 
That sche nath ben a duchesse or a queene ; 65 

Now be we caytifs, as it is wel seene: 
Thanked be Fortune, and hire false wheel, 
That noon estat assureth to ben weel. 
And certes, lord, to abiden ?/oure presence 
Here in the temple of the goddesse Clemence 70 

We han ben waytynge al this fourtenight; 
Now help us, lord, syth it is in thy might. 
I wrecche, which that W€pe and waylle thus, 
Was whilom wyf to kyng Capaneus, 

50. That thus, i.e. ye that thus. 

54. Alle is to be pronounced al-le, but Tyrwhitt reads than, then, after 

alle. 

55. A dedly chere, a deathly countenance. 

60. We beseken, we beseech, ask for, For such double forms as beseken 
and besechen, cf. mod. Eng. sack and satchel, stick and stitch. In 
the Early Eng. period the harder forms with k were very frequent- 
ly employed by Northern writers, who preferred them to the* 
softer Southern forms (introduced by the Norman-French) with ch 

68. This line means *' that ensureth no estate to be good." 

70. Clemence, clemency. 

74. Capaneus, one of the seven heroeswho besieged Thebes ; struck deda 



38 



THE K^SIGHTES TALE. 



That starf at Thebes, cursed be that day, 75 

And alle we that ben in this array, 

And maken al this lamentacioun ! 

We losten alle oure housbondes at that toun, 

Whil that the sege ther aboute lay. 

And yet the olde Creon, welaway ! * 80 

That lord is now of Thebes the citee, 

Fulfild of ire and of iniquite, 

He for despyt, and for his tyrannye. 

To do the deede bodyes vileinye. 

Of alle oure lordes, whiche that ben i-slawe, 85 

Hath alle the bodies on an heep y-drawe. 

And wol not suff ren hem by noon assent 

Xother to ben y -buried nor y-brent. 

But maketh houndes ete hem in despite." 

And with that word, withoute more respite, 90 

They fillen gruf, and criden pitously, 

" Have on us wrecchede wommen som mercy. 

And lat oure sorwe synken in thyn herte." 

This gentil duk douD from his courser sterte 

With herte pitous, whan he herde hem speke. 95 

Him thoughte that his herte wolde breke. 

Whan he seyh hem so pitous and so maat. 

That whilom weren of so gret estat. 

And in his armes he hem alle up hente. 

And hem conforteth in ful good entente; 100 

And swor his oth, as he was trewe knight. 

He wolde don so ferforthly his might 



by lightniDg as he was scaling the walls of the city, because he had 
defied Zeus. 

83. For despyt. out of vexation. 

84. To do the deede bodyes vileinye. to treat the dead bodies shamefully. 
9i3. Withoute more respite, without louger delay. 

91. They fillen gruf. they fell flat with the face to the ground. 

96. Him thoughte. it seemed to him: cf. methinks. it seems to me. In O. 

E. the verbs like, list, seem, rue (pity>. are used impersonally. Cf. 
the modem expression "if you please" = if it be pleasing to you. 

97. Maat. dejected. 

102 FFTfoi-thly, i.e. far -forth-like, to such an extent, as far as. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 39 

Upon the tyraunt Creon hem to wreke, 

That al the people of Grece scholde speke 

How Creon was of Theseus y -served, 105 

As he that hadde his deth ful wel deserved. 

And right anoon, withoute more abood 

His baner he desplayeth, and forth rood 

To Thebes-ward, and al his boost bysyde; 

No nerre Athenes wolde he go ne ryde, 110 

Ne take his eese fully half a day. 

But onward on his way that nyght he lay; 

And sente anoon Ypolita the queene, 

And Emelye hire yonge suster schene, 

Unto the toun of Athenes to dwelle; 115 

And forth he ryt; ther is no more to telle. 

The reede statue of Mars with spere and targe 
So scbyneth in his white baner large. 
That alle the feeldes gliteren up and doun; 
And by his baner born is his pynoun 120 

Of gold ful riche, in which ther was i-bete 
The Minatour which that he slough in Crete. 
Thus ryt this duk, thas ryt this conquerour, 
And in his boost of chevalrie the flour, 
Til that he cam to Thebes, and alighte 125 

Faire in a feeld ther as he thoughte fighte. 
But schortly for to speken of this thing, 
With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng, 
He f aught, and slough him manly as a knight 
In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flight; 130 

And by assaut he wan the cite after, 
And rente adoun bothewal, and sparre, and rafter; 
And to the ladies he restorede agayn 
The bones of here housbondes that were slayn, 

107. Abood, delay, awaiting, abiding. 

108. His baner he desplayeth, i.e. he summoneth his troops to assemble 

for military service. 
110. No nerre, no nearer. 
119. Feeldes, field, in an heraldic term for the ground upon which the 

various charges, as they are called, are emblazoned. 
130. In pleyn bataille, in open or fair fight. 



40 THE KXKtHTES tale. 

To don obsequies, as was tho the gyse. 135 

But it were al to long for to devyse 

The grete clamour and the wa^Taent^-nge 

Which that the ladies made at the breunjTige 

Of the bodves, and the crrete honour 
I- ^ 

That Theseus the noble conquerour 140 

Doth to the ladyes, whan they from him wente. 

But schortly for to telle is myn entente. 

Whan that this worthy duk, this Theseus, 

Hath Creon slayn, and wonne Thebes thus, 

Stille in that feelde he took al night his reste. 14o 

And dide with al the contre as him leste. 

To ransake in the tas of bodyes dede 
Hem for to streepe of hemeys and of wede, 
The pilours diden businesse and cure, 
After the bataille and disconfiture. 150 

And so bylil, that in the tas thei founde, 
Thurgh-girt with many a grevous blody woimde, 
Two ^onge knightes ligg^^Tig by and by, 
Bothe hi oon annes, wroght ful richely; 
Of whiche two. Arcite highte than oon, 155 

And that other knight highte Palamon. 
Xat fully quyke, ne fully deede they were, 
But by here coote-armures, and by here gere, 
The heraudes knewe hem best in special, 
As they that weren of the blood real 160 

Of Thebes, and of sistren tuo i-born. 
Out of the taas the pilours ban hem torn, 

135. Obsequies, accented on the second syllable. 

146. As him leste. as it pleased him. 

147. Tas. heap, collection. 

152. Tliurgh-girt. pierced through. 

153. Liggyng by and by. hing separately. In later English, by and by 

signifies presently. immediately, as '"the end is not by and by." 

154. In oon amies, in one (kind of > arms or armor, showing that they 

belonged to the same house. 

157. Xat fuUy quyke, not wholly alive. 

158. By here coote-armures, by their coat-armor, by the devices on the 

armor covering the breast. 
By here gere. by their ^ear, i.e. equipments. 



I 



THE KNIGHT ES TALE. 41 

And ban hem caried softe unto the tente 

Of Theseus, and he f ul sone hem sente 

Tathenes, for to dwellen in prisoun 165 

Perpetuelly, he nolde no raunsoun. 

And whan this worthy duk hath thus i-doon, 

He took his host, and horn he ryt anoon 

With laurer crowned as a conquerour; 

And there he lyveth in joye and in honour 170 

Terme of his lyf ; what nedeth wordes moo ? 

And in a tour, in angwisch and in woo. 

This Palamon, and his felawe Arcite, 

For everemore, ther may no gold hem quyte. 

This passe th ^eer by ^eer, and day by day, 175 

Til it f el oones in a morwe of May 
That Emelie, that fairer was to seene 
Than is the lilie on hire stalke grene, 
And f resscher than the May with floures newe — 
For with the rose colour strof hire hewe, 180 

I not which was the fayrere of hem two — 
Er it were day, as was hire wone to do, 
Sche was arisen, and al redy dight; 
For May wole ban no sloggardye anight. 
The sesoun priketh every gentil herte, 185 

And maketh him out of his sleep to sterte, 
And seith, ''Arys, and do thin observaunce. " 
This makede Emelye ban remembraun ce 

To don honour to May, and for to ryse. 
I-clothed was sche fresshe for to deyyse. 190 

Hire ^elwe beer was browded in a tresse, 
Byhynde hire bak, a ^erde long I gesse. 



165. Tathenes, to Athens. 

166. He nolde no raunsoun, he would accept of no ransom. 
171. Terme of his lyf, the remainder of his Hfe. 

18G. Strof hire hewe, strove her hue, i.e. her complexion contested the 

superiority with the rose's color. 
181. I not, I know not; not = ne wot. 
189. May.— See also 1. 642. 
191. Hire yelwe heer ivas broivded, her yellow hair was braided . 



42 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

And in the gardyn at the sonne upriste 

Sche walketh up and doiin, and as hire liste 

Sche gadereth floures, party whyte and reede, 195 

To make a sotil gerland for hire heede, 

And as an aungel hevenlyche sche song. 

The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong, 

Which of the castel was the cheef dongeoun, 

(Ther as the knightes weren in prisoun, - 200 

Of which I tolde ^ow, and telle schal) 

Was evene joynant to the gardyn wal, 

Ther as this Emelye hadde hire pleyynge. 

Bright was the sonne, and cleer that morwenynge, 

And Palamon, this wof ul prisoner, 205 

As was his wone, by leve of his gayler 

Was risen, and romede in a chambre on heigh. 

In which he al the noble cite seigh. 

And eek the gardyn, ful of braunches grene, 

Ther as this fresshe Emely the scheene 210 

Was in hire v/alk, and romede up and doun. 

This sorweful prisoner, this Palamon, 

Gooth in the chambre, romyng to and fro. 

And to himself compleynyng of his woo; 

That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, alas ! 215 

And so byf el, by aventure or cas. 

That thurgh a wyndow thikke, of many a barre 

Of iren greet, and squar as eny sparre. 

He caste his eyen upon Emelya, 

And therwithal he bleynte and cryede, a ! 220 

193. The sonne upriste^ the sun's uprising. 

194. As hire liste, as it pleased her. 

195. Party, partly. 

196. Sotil gerland, a subtle garland; subtle has here the exact force of 

the Lat. suhtilis, finely woven. 

202. Evene joynant, closely joining, or adjoining. 

203. Ther as this Emelye hadde hire pleyynge, i.e. where she was 

amusing herself. 
216. By aventure or cas, by adventure or hap. 
218. Sparre, a square wooden bolt; the bars, which were of iron, were a 

thick as they must have been if wooden. See 1. 132. 
220. Bleynte, the past tense of blenche, or blenke (to blink), to start, 

draw back suddenly. * 



THE KIsriGHTES TALE. 43 

As though he stongen were unto the herte. 

And with that crje Arcite anon up-sterte, 

And seyde, *'Cosyn myn, what eyleth the. 

Thou art so pale and deedly on to see ? 

Why crydestow? who hath the doon offence? 225 

For Goddes love, tak al in pacience 

Oure prisoun, for it may non other be ; 

Fortune hath i/even us this adversite 

Som wikke aspect or disposicioun 

Of Saturne, by sum constellacioun, 230 

Hath 2/even us this, although we hadde it sworn ; 

So stood the heven whan that we were born ; 

We moste endure it : this is the schort and pleyn/' 

This Palamon answerde, and seyde ageyn, 
''Cosyn, for sothe of this opynyoun 235 

Thou hast a veyn ymaginacioun. 
This prisoun caused e me not for to crye. 
But I was hurt right now thurghout myn eye 
Into myn herte, that wol my bane be. 
The fairnesse of that lady that I see 240 

Jbnd in the gardyn rome to and fro, 
Is cause of al my crying and my wo. 
I not whether sche be womman or goddesse ; 
But Venus is it, sothly as I gesse.'' 

And therwithal on knees adoun he fil, 245 

And seyde : * 'Venus, if it be thy wil 
Yow in this gardyn thus to transfigure, 
Biforn me sorweful wrecche creature. 
Out of this prisoun help that we may scape. 
And if so be my destine be schape 250 

229. Som wikke aspect. See 11. 470, 1576, 1611. 

233. The schort and pleyn, the brief and manifest statement of the case. 
243. Whether, to be pronounced ivher, which is a common form for 
whether. 

247. Yow (used reflexively), yourself. 

248. Wrecche, wretched, is a word of two syllables, like wikke, wicked, 

where the d is later and unnecessary addition. 
250. Schape = schapen, shaped, determined. ''Shapes our ends." (Shake 
speare, Hamlet, v. 2. 10.) 



44 THE KKIGHTES TALE. 

By eterne word to deyen in prisoun. 

Of oure lynage have sum compassioun, 

That is so lowey-brought by tyrannye." 

And with that word Arcite gan espye 

Wher as this lady romede to and fro. 255 

And with that sighte hire beaute htirte him so, 

That if that Palamon was wounded sore, 

Arcite is hurt as moche as he, or more. 

And with a sigh he seyde pitously : 

''The fressche beaute sleeth me sodeynly 260 

Of hire that rometh in the yonder place -; 

And but I have hire mercy and hire grace. 

That I may seen hire atte leste weye, 

I nam but deed ; ther nys no more to seye." 

This Palamon, whan he tho wordes herde, ^65 

Despitously he lokede, and answerde : 

"Whether seistow this in ernest or in pley ? " 

"Nay," quod Arcite, " in ernest by my fey. 

God help me so, me lust f ul evele pleye. " 

This Palamon gan knytte his browes tweye : 270 

" It nere," quod he, "to the no gret honour. 

For to be fals, ne for to be traytour 

To me, that am thy cosyn and thy brother 

I-sworn ful deepe, and ech of us to other, 

That nevere for to deyen in the payne, 275 

Till that the deeth departe schal us twayne. 



262. And except I have her pity and her favor. 

263. Atte leste weye, at the least. Cf . leastwise = at the leastwise ; least- 

wise. 

264. lam not hut (no better than) dead, there is no more to say Chaucer 

uses ne — hut much in the same way as the Fr. ne—que. 

268. By my fey, by my faith, in good faith. 

269. Me lustful evele pleye, it pleases me very badly to play. 
271. It nere = it were not, it would not be. 

275. That never, even though it cost us a miserable death, a death by 

torture . 

276. Till that death shall part us two. Cp. the ingenious alteration in 

the Marriage Service, where the phrase "till death us depart" was 
altered into "do part" in 1661. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 45 

Neyther of us in love to hyndren other, 

Ne in non other cas, my leeve brother ; 

But that thou schuldest trewely f orthren me 

In every caas, and I schal forthren the. 280 

This was thyn oth, and myn also certeyn ; 

I wot right wel, thou darst it nat withseyn. 

Thus art thou of my counseil out of doute. 

And now thou woldest falsly ben aboute 

To love my lady, whom I love and serve, 285 

And evere schal, til that myn herte sterve. 

Now certes, false Arcite, thou schalt not so. 

I lovede hire first, and tolde the m}^ woo 

As to my counseil, and my brother sworn 

To forthre me, as 1 have told biforn. 290 

For which thou art i-bounden as a knight 

To helpe me, if it lay in thi might. 

Or elles art thou fals, I dar wel sayn." 

This Arcite ful proudly spak a^ayn. 

'' Thou schalt," quod he, '' be rather fals than I. 295 

But thou art fals, I telle the utterly. 

For par amour I lovede hire first er thow. 

What wolt thou sayn ? thou wistest not ^it now 

Whether sche be a womman or goddesse. 

Thyn is affeccioun of holynesse, 300 

And myn is love, as to a creature ; 

For which I tolde the myn aventure 

As to my cosyn, and my brother sworn. 

I pose, that thou lovedest hire biforn ; 

278. Cas, case. It properly means event, hap. See 1. 216. 
My leeve brother, my dear brother. 

283. Out of doute, without doubt, doubtless. 

289. Counseil, advice. See 1. 303. 

293. I dar wel sayn, I dare maintain. 

295. Thou schalt he. Chaucer occasionally uses shall in the sense of 
owe, so that the true sense of I shall is / owe (Lat. debeo); the 
sense is "Thou art sure to be false sooner than I am." 

297. Par amour, with love, in the way of love. To love par amour is 
an old phrase for to love excessively. 

300. Affeccioun of holynesse, a sacred affection, or aspiration after. 

304. I pose, I put the case, I will suppose. 



46 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Wost thou nat wel the olde clerkes sawe, 805 

That who schal ^eve a lover eny lawe, 

Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan, 

Then may be ^eve to eny erthly man ? 

Therfore posityf lawe, and such decre, 

Is broke alday for love in ech degree. 310 

A man moot needes love maugre his heed. 

He may nought flen it, though he schulde be deed, 

Al be sche mayde, or widewe, or elles wyf . 

And eek it is nat likly al thy lyf 

To stonden in hire grace, no more schal I; 315 

For wel thou wost thyselven verraily. 

That thou and I been dampned to prisoun 

Perpetuelly, us gayneth no raunsoun. 

We stryve, as dide the houndes for the boon. 

They f oughte al day, and ^it here part was noon ; 320 

Ther com a kyte, whil that they were so wrothe. 

And bar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe. 

And therfore at the kynges court, my brother, 

Ech man for himself, ther is non other. 

Love if the list ; for I love and ay schal ; 325 

And sothly, leeve brother, this is al. 

Here in this prisoun moote we endure. 

And everych of us take his aventure. '' 

Gret was the stryf and long bytwixe hem tweye 

If that I hadde leyser for to seye ; 330 

But to theffect. — It happede on a day, 

(To telle it ^ow as schortly as I may) 

305. Knowest thou not well the old writer's saying ? The olde clerke is 
Boethius, from whose book Chaucer has borrowed largely in 
many places. The passage alluded to is in lib. iii. met. 12: 

" Quis legem det amantibus ? 
Major lex amor est sibi." 

309. And such decre, and (all) such ordinances. 

310. In ech degree, in every rank of life. 

314. And eek it is, &c., and moreover it is not likely that ever in all thy 

life thou wilt stand in her favor. 
328. Everych of us, each of us, every one of us. 
331. To theffect, to the result, or end. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 47 

A worthy duk that highte Perotheiis, 

That felawe was unto duk Theseus 

Syn thilke day that they were children lyte, 335 

Was come to Athenes, his felawe to visite, 

And for to pleye, as he was wont to do, 

For in this world he lovede no man so : 

And he lovede him as tendrely agayn. 

So wel they lovede, as olde bookes sayn, 340 

That whan that oon was deed, sothly to telle. 

His felawe wente and soughte him doun in helle ; 

But of that story lyst me nought to write. 

Duk Perotheus lovede wel Arcite, 

And hadde him knowe at Thebes 2/eer by ^eer ; 345 

And fynally at requeste and prayer 

Of Perotheus, withouten any raunsoun 

Duk Theseus him leet out of prisoun, 

Frely to gon, wher that him luste overal. 

In such a gyse, as I you. telle schal. 350 

This was the forward, playnly for tendite, 

Bitwixe Theseus and him Arcite : 

That if so were, that Arcite were yfounde 

Evere in his lyf , by daye or night, o stound 

In eny contre of this Theseus, 355 

And he were caught, it was acorded thus. 

That with a swerd he scholde lese his heed ; 

Ther nas noon other remedy ne reed. 

But took his leeve, and homward he him spedde ; 

Let him be war, his nekke lith to wedde. 360 

How gret a sorwe suffreth now Arcite ! 
The deth he f eleth thurgh his herte smyte ; 
He weepeth, weyleth, cryeth pitously ; 
To slen himself he wayteth pryvely. 

342. In helle. Au allusion to Theseus accompanjing Perithous in his 
expedition to carry off Proserpina, v,hen both were taken 
prisoners, and Perithous was torn in pieces by the dog Cerberus. 

354. O stound, one moment, any short interval of time. 

360. His nekke lith to ivedde, his neck is in jeopardy. 

364. To slen himself he ivayteth pryvely, he watches for an opportunity 
to slay himself unperceived. 



48 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

He seycle, " Alias the day that I was born ! 865 

Now is my prisoun werse than biforn ; 

Now is me schape eternally to dwelle 

Nought in purgatorie, but in helle. 

Alias ! that evere knew I Perotheus ! 

For elles hadde I dweld with Theseus 370 

I-fetered in his prisoun evere moo. 

Than hadde I ben in blisse, and nat in woo. 

Oonly the sighte of hire, whom that I serve. 

Though that I nevere hire grace may deserve, 

Wolde han sufficed right ynough for me. ^ 375 

O dere cosyn Palamon, " quod he, 

** Thyn is the victorie of this aventure, 

Ful blisfuUy in prisoun maistow dure ; 

In prisoun ? certes nay, but in paradys ! 

Wei hath fortune y-torned the the dys, 380 

That hast the sighte of hire, and I thabsence. 

For possible is, syn thou hast hire presence. 

And art a knight, a worthi and an able. 

That by som cas, syn fortune is chaungeable, 

Thou maist to thy desir somtyne atteyne. 385 

But 1 that am exiled, and bareyne 

Of alle grace, and in so gret despeir. 

That ther nys erthe, water, fyr, ne eyr, 

Ne creature, that of hem maked is, 

That may me helpe or doon confort in this. 390 

Wei oughte I sterve in wanhope and distresse ; 

Farwel my lyf, my lust, and my gladnesse.' 

Alias, why pleynen folk so in commune 

Of purveiaunce of God, or of fortune. 

That 2/eveth hem ful of te in many a gyse 395 

Wei bettre than thei can hemself devyse ? 

367. Note is me schape, now am I destined ; literallj^ now is it shapen 

(or appointed) for me. 
379. Paradys must be pronounced as a word of two syllables (parays). 
389. It was supposed that all things were made of the four elements 

mentioned 1. 388. "Does not our life consist of the four elements ?" 

(Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, ii. 3. 10.) 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 49 

Som man desireth for to han richesse, 

That cause is of Ms morthre or gret seeknesse. 

And som man wolde out of his prisoun fayn, 

That in his hous is of his meyne slayn. 400 

Infinite harmes ben in this mateere ; 

We witen nat what thing we prayen heere. 

We ^aren as he that dronke is as a mous, 

A dronke' man wot wel he hath an hous, 

But he not which the righte wey is thider, 405 

And to a dronke man the wey is slider, 

And certes in this world so f aren we ; 

We seeken faste after felicite, 

But we gon wrong f ul of te trewely . 

Thus may we seyen alle, and namelyche I, 410 

That wende and hadde a gret opinioun. 

That ^if I mighte skape fro prisoun, 

Than hadde I ben in joye and perfyt hele, 

Ther now I am exiled fro my wele. 

Syn that I may not sen ^ow, Emelye, 415 

I nam but deed ; ther nys no remedye." 

Uppon that other syde Palamon, 
Whan that he wiste Arcite was agoon, 
Such sorwe he maketh, that the grete tour 
Resowneth of his ^ollyng and clamour. 420 

The pure fettres on his schynes grete 
Weren of his bittre salte teres wete. 
'' Alias !" quod he, " Arcita, cosyn myn. 
Of al oure strif, God woot, the fruyt is thin. 
Thou walkest now in Thebes at thi large, 425 

And of my woo thou Revest litel charge. 
Thow maist, syn thou hast wysdom and manhede, 

399. And another nian would fain (get) out of his prison. 

401. mateere, in the matter of thinking to excel God's providence. 

402. We never know what thing it is that we pray for here below. See 

Romans viii. 26. 

403. Dronfce is as a mous. The phrase seems tg have given way to 

"drunk as a rat." 
421. Pure fettres, the very fetters, 
425. At thi Inrge, at large. 



50 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Assemblen al the folk of oure kynrede. 

And make a werre so scharpe on this cite. 

That by som aventure, or som trete, 430 

Thou mayst have hire to lady and to wyf. 

For whom that I mot needes leese my lyf . 

For as by wey of possibilite, 

Syth thou art at thi large of prisoun free, 

And art a lord, gret is thin avauntage, 435 

More than is m}Ti, that sterve here in a kage. 

For I moot weepe and weyle, whil I lyve, 

With al the woo that prisoun may me yy^e, 

And eek with peyne that love me ^eveth also, 

That doubleth al my torment and my wo." 440 

Therwith the fyr of jelousye upsterte 

Withinne his breste, and hente him by the herte 

So wodly, that he lik was to byholde 

The box-tree, or the asschen deede and colde. 

Tho seyde he; '' O cruel goddes, that governe 445 

This world with bj^nd^^ng of ^oure word eterne. 

And writen in the table of athamaunte 

Jbure parlement, and ?/oure eterne graunte, 

What is mankynde more unto ^ow holde 

Than is the scheep, that rouketh in the f olde ? 450 

For slayn is man right as another beest, 

And dwelleth eek in prisoun and arreest. 

And hath seknesse, and greet adversite. 

And ofte tymes gilteles, parde. 

What governaunce is in this prescience, ' 455 

That gilteles tormenteth innocence? 

And ^et encresceth this al my penaunce, 

That man is bounden to his observaunce 

For Goddes sake to letten of his wille, 

Ther as a beest may al his lust fuliille. 460 

And whan a beest is deed, he hath no pe^^ne; 

But man after his deth moot wepe and pleyne, 

Though in this world he have care and woo: 

444. White like box-wood, or ashen-gray. 

459. To letten of his iville, to refrain from his will (or lusts). 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 51 

Withouten doute it may stonde so. 

The answere of this I lete to divinis, 465 

But wel I woot, that in this world gret pyne is. 

Alias ! I se a serpent or a theef, 

That many a trewe man hath doon mescheef , 

Gon at his large, and wher him lust may turne. 

But I moot ben in prisoun thurgh Saturne, 470 

And eek thurgh Juno, jalous and eek wood. 

That hath destruyed wel neyh al the blood 

Of Thebes, with his waste walles wyde. 

And Venus sleeth me on that other syde 

For jelousye, and fere of him Arcyte." 475 

Now wol I stynte of Palamon a lite. 
And lete him in his prisoun stille dwelle, 
And of Arcita forth I wol ^ou telle. 
The somer passeth, and the nightes longe 
Encrescen double wise the peynes stronge 480 

Bothe of the lovere and the prisoner. 
I noot which hath the wofullere myster. 
For schortly for to seyn, this Palamoun 
Perpetuelly is dampned to prisoun, 
In cheynes and in fettres to be deed; 485 

And Arcite is exiled upon his heed 
For evere mo as out of that contre, 
Ne nevere mo he schal his lady see. 
Tow loveres axe I now this questioun. 
Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamoun ? 490 

That on may se his lady day by day. 
But in prisoun he moste dwelle alway. 
That other wher him lust may ryde or go. 
But seen his lady schal he nevere mo. 
Now deemeth as ^ou luste, ^e that can, 495 

For I wol telle forth as I bigan. 

Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was, 
Ful ofte a day he swelte and seyde alas. 
For seen his lady schal he nevere mo. 

This questioun. — An implied allusion to the mediaeval courts of 
love, in which questions of this kind were seriously discussed. 



52 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

And schortly to concluden al his wo, 500 

So moche sorwe liadde uevere creature, 

That is or schal whil that the world may dure. 

His sleep, his mete, his drynk is him byraft. 

That lene he wex, and drye as is a schaft. 

His e^^en holwe, and grisly to biholde; 505 

His he we falwe, and pale as asschen colde. 

And solitarye he was, and evere allone, 

And waillyng al the night, making his moone. 

And if he herde song or instrument, 

Then wolde he wepe, he mighte nought be stent; 510 

So feble eek were his spiritz, and so lowe. 

And chaunged so, that no man couthe knowe 

His speche nother his vols, though men it herde. 

And in his geere, for al the world he ferde 

Nought oonly lyke the loveres maladye 515 

Of Hereos, but rather lik manye 

Engendred of humour malencolyk, 

Bj^oren in his selle fantastyk. 

And schortly turned was al up-so-doun 

Bothe habyt and eek disposicioun 520 

Of him, this woful lovere daun Arcite. 

What schulde I alday of his wo endite ? 

Whan he endured hadde a i/eer or tuo 

This cruel torment, and this peyne and woo. 

At Thebes, in his contre, as I seyde, 525 

Upon a night in sleep as he him leyde. 

Him thoughte how that the wenged god Mercuric 

Byforn him stood, and bad him to be murye. 

His slepy ^erde in hond he bar uprighte; 

508. Making his moone, making his complaint or moan. 

514-517. And in his manner for all the world he conducted himself 
not like one suffering from the lover's melancholy of Eros, but 
rather (his disease was) like mania engendered of " humor melan- 
choly." 

518. In his selle fantastyk.— The division of the brain into cells, accord- 
ing to the different sensitive faculties, is very ancient, and is found 
depicted in mediaeval manuscripts. The fantastic cell (fantasia) 
was in front of the head. (Wright.) 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 53 

An hat he werede upon his heres brighte. 530 

Arrayed was this god (as he took keepe) 

As he was whan that Argus took his sleepe; 

And seyde him thus:'' To Athenes schalt thou wende; 

Ther is the schapen of thy wo an ende." 

And with that word Arcite wook and sterte. 535 

"Now trewly how sore that me smerte." 

Quod he, " to Athenes Yiglit now wol I fare; 

Ne for the drede of deth schal I not spare 

To see my lady, that I love and serve; 

In hire presence I recche nat to sterve.' 540 

And with that word he caught e a gret myrour, 

And saugh that chaunged was al his colour, 

And saugh his visage al in another kynde. 

And right anoon it ran him in his mynde. 

That sith his face was so disfigured 545 

Of maladie the which he hadde endured. 

He mighte wel, if that he bar him lowe, 

Lyve in Athenes evere more unknowe. 

And seen his lady wel neih day by day. 

And right anon he chaungede his aray, 550 

And cladde him as a poure laborer. 

And al allone, save oonly a squyer. 

That knew his pryvete and al his cas. 

Which was disgysed povrely as he was. 

To Athenes is he gon the nexte way. 555 

And to the court he wente upon a day. 

And at the ^/ate he profreth his servyse. 

To drugge and drawe, what so men wol devyse. 

And schortly of this matere for to seyn, 

He fel in office with a chamberleyn, 560 

The which that dwellyng was with Emelye. 

For he was wys, and couthe sone aspye 

Of every servaunt, which that serveth here. 

Wel couthe he hewen woode, and water here, 

532. Argus, Argus of the hundred eyes, whom Mercury charmed to sleep 

before slaying him. 
547. Bar him lowe, conducted Jiiniself ^s one of low estate, 



54 THE KXIGHTES TALE. 

For he ^vas i/ong and mighty for the noues, 565 

And therto he was strong and bygge- of bones 

To doon that eny wight can him devyse. 

A ^eer or two he was in this servise, 

Page of the chambre of Emelye the brighte; 

And Philostrate he seide that he highte. 570 

But half so wel byloved a man as he 

Xe was ther nevere in court of his degree. 

He was so gentil of condicioun, 

That thurghout al the court was his renoun. 

They seyde that it were a charite 575 

That Theseus wolde enhaunse his degree, 

And putten him in worschipful servyse, 

Ther as he mighte his vertu excercise. 

And thus withinne a while his name is sprouge 

Bothe of his dedes, and his goode tonge, 580 

That Theseus hath taken him so neer 

That of his chambre he made him a squyer. 

And ^af him gold to mayntene his degree; 

And eek men broughte him out of his countre 

Fro peer to ^eer ful pryvely his rente; 585 

But honestly and sleighly he it spente, 

That no man wondrede how that he it hadde. 

And thre i/eer in this wise his lyf he ladde, 

And bar him so in pees and eek in werre, 

Ther nas no man that Theseus hath derre. 590 

And in this blisse lete I now Arcite, 

And speke I wole of Palamon a lyte. 

In derknesse and horrible and strong prisoun 
This seven ^eer hath seten Palamoun, 
Forp^Tied, what for woo and for distresse; 595 

Who feleth double sorwe and hevynesse 
But Palamon ? that love destreyneth so, 
That wood out of his wit he goth for wo; 
And eek therto he is a prisoner 
Perpetuelly, nat oonly for a ^eer. 600 

580. Sleighly, prudently, wisely. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 55 

Who couthe ryme in Englissch proprely 

His martirdam ? for sothe it am nat I; 

Therfore I passe as lightly as I may. 

Hit f el that in the seventhe ^eer in May 

The thridde night, (as olde bookes seyn, 605 

That al this storie tellen more pleyn) 

Were it by aventure or destine, 

(As, whan a thing is schapen, it schal be,) 

That soone after the mydnyght, Palamoun 

By helpyng of a freend brak his prisoun, 610 

And fleeth the cite faste as he may goo, 

For he hadde ^ive his gayler drinke soo 

Of a clarre, maad of a certeyn wyn. 

With nercotykes and opye of Thebes fyn. 

That al that night thongh that men wolde him schake, 

The gayler sleep, he mighte nou^At awake. 616 

And thus he fleeth as faste as evere he may. 

The night was schort, and faste by the day. 

That needes-cost he moste himselven hyde, 

And til a grove faste ther besyde 620 

With dredf ul foot than stalketh Palamomi. 

For schortly this was his opynyoun. 

That in that grove he wolde him hyde al day, 

And in the night then w^olde he take his way 

To Thebes-ward, his frendes for to preye 625 

On Theseus to helpe him to werreye; 

And schorteliche, or he wolde lese his lyf. 

Or wynnen Emelye unto his wyf . 

This is theffect and his entente playn. 

Now wol I torne unto Arcite agayn, 630 



605. The third night is followed by the fourth day; so Palamon and Ar-» 
cite meet on the 4th of May (1. 715), which was a Friday (1. 676), and 
the first hour of which (1. 635) was dedicated to Venus (1. 678) and 
to lovers' vows (1. 643). (Skeat.) 

613. Clarre. The French term dare seems simply to have denoted a 
clear transparent wine, but in its most usual sense a compound 
drink of wine with honey and spices, so delicious as to be compar- 
able to the necta orf the gods. 

619. Needes-cost, for needes coste, by the force of necessity. 



56 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

That litel wiste how nyh that was his care, 

Til that fortune hadde brought him in the snare. 

The busy larke, messager of daye, 
Salueth in hire song the morwe graye; 
And fyry Phebus ryseth up so brighte, 635 

That al the orient laugheth of the lighte. 
And with his stremes dryeth in the greves 
The silver dropes, hongyng on the leeves. 
And Arcite, that is in the court ryal 
With Theseus, his squyer principal, 640 

Is risen, and loketh on the merye day. , 
And for to doon his observaunce to May, 
Remembryng on the poynt of his desir. 
He on his courser, stertyng as the fir. 
Is riden into the f eeldes him to pleye, 645 

Out of the court, were it a myle or tweye. 
And to the grove, of which that I ^ow tolde, 
By aventure his wey he gan to holde, 
To maken him a garland of the greves. 
Were it of woodebynde or hawethorn leves, 650 

And lowde he song a^/ens the sonne scheene: 
' May, with alle thy floures and thy greene. 
Welcome be thou, wel faire fressche May, 
I hope that I som grene gete may/ 
And fro his courser, with a lusty herte, 655 

Into the grove ful hastily he sterte, 
And in a path he rometh up and doun, 
Ther as by aventure this Palamoun 
Was in a busche, that no man mighte him see. 
For sore af ered of his deth was he. 660 

Nothing ne knew he that it was Arcite: 
God wot he wolde han trowed it ful lite. 
But soth is seyd, goon sithen many ^eres. 
That f eld hath eyen, and the woode hath eeres. 
It is ful fair a man to here him evene, 665 

For al day meteth men at unset stevene. 

650. Were it = if it were only. 

666. At unset stevene, at a meeting not previously fixed upon, an unex- 
pected meeting or appointment. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 51 

Ful litel woot Arcite of his felawe. 

That was so neih to herknen al his sawe, 

For in the busche he sytteth now ful stille. 

Whan that Arcite hadde romed al his fille, 670 

And songen al the roundel lustily. 

Into a studie he fel al sodeynly, 

As don thes loveres in here queynte geeres, 

Now in the croppe, now doun in the breres, 

Now up, now doun, as boket in a welle. 675 

Right as the Friday, sothly for to telle, 

Now it schyneth, now it reyneth faste. 

Right so gan gery Venus overcaste 

The hertes of hire folk, right as hire day 

Is gerf ul, right so chaungeeh sche array. 680 

Selde is the Fry day al the wyke i-like. 

Whan that Arcite hadde songe, he gan to sike, 

And sette him doun withouten eny more: 

' Alas!' quod he, ' that day that I was bore! 

How longe Juno, thurgh thy cruelte, 685 

Wiltow werreyen Thebes the citee ? 

Alias ! i-brou^7it is to confusioun 

The blood royal of Cadme and Amphioun; 

Of Cadmus, which that was the firste man 

That Thebes bulde, or first the toun bygan, 690 

And of that cite first was crowned kyng, 

Of his lynage am I, and his of spring 

By verray l}Tie, as of the stok ryal: 

And now I am so caj^tyf and so thral, 

That he that is my mortal enemy, 695 

I serve him as his squyer povrely. 

And ^et doth Juno me wel more schame, 

For I dar nought byknowe myn owne name, 

But ther as I was wont to hote Arcite, 

Now highte I Philostrate, nou^^t worth a myte. 700 



673. Bere queynte geeres, their strange behaviors. 

674. Now in the top (i.e., elevated, in high spirits), now down in the 

briars (i.e., depressed, in low spirits). 



58 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Alias ! thou f elle Mars, alias I Juno, 

Thus hath youre ire owre kjTirede al fordo. 

Save oonly me, and wrecched Palamoun, 

That Theseus mart^Teth in prisoun. 

And over al this, to sleen me utterly, 705 

Love hath his fyiy dart so brennyngly 

I-styked thurgh my trewe careful herte, 

That schapen was my deth erst than my scherte. 

Ye slen me with youre eyeu, Emelye; 

ye ben the cause wherfore that I dye. 710 

Of al the remenant of myn other care - 

Ne sette I nou^/a the mountaunce of a tare. 

So that I couthe don aught to youre plesaunce. ' 

And with that word he fel doun in a traunce 

A long t}Tiie; and afterward he upsterte 715 

This Palamon, that thougJite that thurgh his herte 

He felte a cold swerd sodeynliche glyde; 

For ire he quook, no lenger nolde he byde. 

And whan that he hadde herd Arcites tale. 

As he were wood, with face deed and pale, 720 

He sterte him up out of the bussches thikke. 

And seyde: ' Arcyte, false traitour wikke, 

Xow art thou hent, that lovest my lady so, 

For whom that I have al this peyne and wo. 

And art my blood, and to my counseil sworn, 725 

As I ful ofte have told the heere byforn, 

And hast byjaped here duk Theseus, 

And falsly chaunged hast thy name thus; ' 

I wol be deed, or elles thou schalt dye. 

Thou schalt not love my lady Emelye, 730 

But I vrll love hire oonly and no mo; 

For I am Palamon thy mortal fo. 

And though that I no wepne have in this place. 

But out of prisoun am astert by grace, 

I drede not that outher thou schalt dye, 735 

Or thou ne schalt not loven Emelye. 

735. I drede not, I have no fear, I doubt not. 
735, 736. Outher . . . or = either ... or. 



THE KIHGHTES TALE. 59 

Ches which thou wilt, for thou schalt not asterte. ' 

This Arcite, with ful despitous herte, 

Whan he him knew, and hadde his tale herd, 

As fers as lyoun pullede out a swerd, 740 

And seide thus : '' By God that sit above, 

Nere it that thou art sik and wood for love. 

And eek that thou no wepne hast in this place. 

Thou schuldest nevere out of this grove pace. 

That thou ne schuldest deyen of myn hond. 745 

For I defye the seurte and the bond 

Which that thou seyst that I have maad to the. 

What, verray fool, think wel that love is fre ! 

And I wol love hire mawgre al th3^ might. 

But, for as muche thou art a worthy knight. 750 

And wilnest to derreyne hire by batayle. 

Have heer my trouthe, to-morwe I nyl not fayle, 

Withouten wityng of eny other wight. 

That heer I wol be founden as a knight. 

And bryngen barneys right inough for the; 755 

And ches the beste, and lef the worste for me. 

And mete and drjmke this night wil I brynge 

Inough for the, and clothes for thy beddynge. 

And if so be that thou my lady wynne. 

And sle me in this woode ther I am inne, 760 

Thou maist wel han thy lady as for me.'' 

This Palamon answerde: ''I graunte it the." 

And thus they ben departed til a-morwe, 

When ech of hem hadde leyd his f eith to borwe. 

O Cupide, out of alle charite ! 765 

O regne, that wolt no f elawe han with the ! 
Ful soth is seyd, that love ne lordschipe 
Wol not, his thonkes, han no felaweschipe. 
Wel fynden that Arcite and Palamoun. 
Arcite is riden anon unto the toun, 770 

And on the morwe, or it were dayes light, 
Ful prively two barneys hath he dight, 

764. To borwe. This expression has the same force as to wedde, in 

pledge. See 1. 360. 
768, 1349. His thonkes, willingly, with his good-will. 



60 THE KKIGHTES TALE. 

Bothe suffisaunt and mete to darreyne 

The bataylle in the feeld betv/ix hem tweyne. 

And on his hors, allone as he was born, 775 

He caryeth al this barneys him byforn; 

And in the grove, at tyme and place i-set. 

This Arcite and this Palamon ben met. 

Tho chaungen gan the colour in here face. 

Right as the honter in the regne of Trace ' 780 

That stondeth at the^ gappe with a spere, 

Whan honted is the lyoun or the here, 

And hereth him come ruschyng in the greves. 

And breketh bothe bowes and the leves, 

And thinketh, '' Here cometh my mortel enemy, 785 

Withoiite faile, he mot be deed or I; 

For eyther I mot slen him at the gappe, 

Or he moot sleen me, if that me myshappe:" 

So ferden they, in chaungyng of here hewe, 

As f er as everich of hem other knewe. 790 

Ther nas no good day, ne no salu}Tig; 

But streyt withouten word or rehersj^ng, 

Everych of hem help for to armen other. 

As frendly as he were his owne brother; 

And after that with scharpe speres stronge 795 

They foynen ech at other wonder longe. 

Thou myghtest wene that this Palamon 

In his fightynge were as a wood lyoun. 

And as a cruel tygre was Arcite: 

As wilde boores gonne they to smyte, ' 800 

That f rothen white as f oom for ire wood. 

Up to the ancle foughte they in here blood. 

And in this wise I lete hem fightyng dwelle; 

And forth I wol of Theseus ^ow telle. 

The destyne, mynistre general, 805 

That executeth in the world over-al 
The purveiauns, that God hath se^m byforn; 
So strong it is, that though the world hadde sworn 

807. Hath seyn byforn, hath seen before, hath foreseen. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 61 

The contrarye of a thing by ^e or nay, 

Tet somtyme it schal falle upon a day 810 

That falleth nought eft withinne a thousend yeere. 

For certeynly oure appetites heere, 

Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love, 

Al is it reuled by the sighte above. 

This mene I now by mighty Theseus, 815 

That for to honten is so desirous. 

And namely at the grete hert in May, 

That in his bed ther daweth him no day, 

That he nys clad, and redy for to ryde 

With honte and horn, and houndes him byside. 820 

For in his hontyng hath he such delyt, 

That it is al his joye and appetyt 

To been himself the grete hertes bane, 

For after Mars he serveth now Diane. 

Cleer was the day, as I have told or this, 825 

And Theseus, with alle joye and blys. 
With his Ypolita, the fayre queene. 
And Emelye, clothed al in greene. 
On honting be thay riden ryally. 

And to the grove, that stood ful faste by, 830 

In which ther was an hert as men him tolde, 
Duk Theseus the streyte wey hath holde. 
And to the launde he rydeth him ful righte. 
For thider was the hert wont have his flighte. 
And over a brook, and so forth in his weye. 835 

This duk wol han a cours at him or tweye 
With houndes, swiche as that him lust comaunde. 
And whan this duk was come unto the launde. 
Under the sonne he loketh, and anon 
He was war of Arcite and Palamon, 840 

That fought en breeme, as it were boores tuo; 
The brighte swerdes wente to and fro 
So hidously, that with the leste strook 
It seemede as it wolde felle an ook; 

818. Ther daiveth him no day, no day dawns upon him. 
820. Honte is here written for hunte, hunter. 



62 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

But what they were, nothing he ne woot. 845 

This dnk his courser with his spores smoot, 

And at a stert he was betwix hem tuoo, 

And pullede out a swerd and cride, '' Hoo! 

Nomore, up peyne of leesyng of yowre heed. 

By mighty Mars, he schal anon be deed, 850 

That smyteth eny strook, that I may seen! 

But telleth me what mester men yQ been, 

That ben so hardy for to fighten heere 

Withoute jugge or other officere, 

As it were in a lystes really ?" ' 855 

This Palamon answerde hastily. 

And seyde: '' Sire, what nedeth wordes mo? 

We han the deth deserved bothe tuo. 

Tuo woful wrecches been we, tuo kaytyves. 

That ben encombred of oure owne lyves; 860 

And as thou art a rightful lord and juge, 

Ne ^eve us neyther mercy ne refuge. 

And sle me first, for seynte charite; 

But sle my f elawe eek as wel as me. 

Or sle him first; for, though thou knowe it lyte, 865 

This is thy mortal fo, this is Arcite, 

That fro thy lond is banyscht on his heed, 

For which he hath deserved to be deed. 

For this is he that com unto thi gate 

And seyde, that he highte Philostrate. 870 

Thus hath he japed the ful many a ^er, 

And thou hast maked him thy cheef squyer. 

And this is he that loveth Emelye. 

For sith the day is come that I schal dye, 

I make pleynl}^ my confessioun, 875 

That I am thilke woful Palamoun, 

That hath thy prisoun broke wikkedly. 

I am thy mortal foo, and it am I 



848. Hoo, an exclamation made by heralds, to stop the fight. It was 
also used to enjoin silence. See 11. 1675, 1798. 

878. It am I. This is the regular construction in early English. In 
modern English the pronoun it is regarded as the direct nomina- 
tive, and J as forming part of the predicate. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 63 

That loveth so hoote Emelye the brighte, 

That I wol dye present in hire sighte. 880 

Therefore I aske deeth and my juwyse; 

But slee my felawe in the same wyse, 

For hothe han we deserved to be slayn." 

This worthy duk answerde anon agayn, 
And seide, '* This is a schort conclusioun: 885 

Tbure owne mouthe, by ^oure confessioun, 
Hath dampned yow, and I wil it recorde. 
It nedeth noug/^t to pyne ^ow with the corde. 
Te schul be deed by mighty Mars the reede!" 
The queen anon for verray wommanhede 890 

Gan for to wepe, and so dede Emelye, 
And alle the ladies in the compainye. 
Gret pite was it, as it thoughte hem alle. 
That evere such a chaunce schulde falle; 
For gen til men thei were, of gret estate, 895 

And nothing but for love was this debate. 
And sawe here bloody woundes wyde and sore; 
And alle eryden, bothe lasse and more, 
*'Have mercy. Lord, upon us wommen alle!" 
And on here bare knees adoun they falle, 900 

And wolde han kist his feet ther as he stood, 
Til atte laste aslaked was his mood; 
For pite renneth sone in gen til herte. 
And though he first for ire quok and sterte, 
He hath considerd shortly in a clause, 905 

The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause: 
And although that his ire here gylt accusede, 
Fet in his resoun he hem bothe excusede; 
And thus he thoughte wel that every man 
Wol helpe himself in love if that he can, 910 

And eek delyvere himself out of prisoun; 
And eek his herte hadde compassioun 

881. Therefore I ask my death and my doom. 

889. Mars the reede. — Boccaccio uses the same epithet in the opening of 

his Teseide; " O ruhiconde Marte^ Reede refers to the color of 

the planet. 
903. This line occurs again, Squire's Tale, ii. 133. 



64 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Of wommen, for they wepen evere in oon; 

And in his gentil herte he thoughte anoon, 

And softe unto himself he seyde: '' Fy 915 

Upon a lord that wol han no mercy, 

But ben a lyoun bothe in word and dede, 

To hem that ben in repentaunce and drede, 

As wel as to a proud despitous man, 

That wol maynteyne that he first bigan! 920 

That lord hath litel of discreeioun. 

That in such caas can no divisioun; 

But weyeth pride and humblesse after oon." 

And schortly, whan his ire is thus agon, 

He gan to loken up with eyen lighte, 925 

And spak these same wordes al on highte. 

** The god of loYe, Sil benedicite, 

How mighty and how gret a lord is he! 

Agayns his might ther gayneth non obstacles, 

He may be cleped a god for his miracles; 930 

For he can maken at his own gyse 

Of everych herte, as that him lust devyse. 

Lo her this Arcite and this Palamoun, 

That quytly weren out of my prisoun. 

And mighte han lyved in Thebes ryally, 935 

And witen I am here mortal enemy, 

And that here deth lith in my might also, 

And 2/et hath love, maugre here eyghen tuo, 

I-brought hem hider bothe for to dye. 

Now loketh, is nat that an heih folye ? 940 

Who may not ben a fool, if that he love ? 

Byhold for Goddes sake that sit above. 



922. Can no divisoun, knows no distinction. 

923. After oon = after one mode, according to the same rule. 
925. Eyen lighte, cheerful looks. 

941. *' Amare et Sapere vix Deo conceditur." (Pub. Sent. 15.) Cp. Adv. 
of Learning, ii. proem. § 15. " It is impossible to love and to be 
wise." (Bacon's Essays, ed. Singer, x. p. 34.) 

Not (Harl.); omitted by EUes, which has Who may been a fole 
but-if he love, 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 65 

Se how they blede! be they nought wel arrayed? 

Thus hath here lord, the god of love, y-payed 

Here wages and here fees for here servise. 945 

And yet they wenen for to ben ful wise 

That serven love, for ought that may bifalle. 

But this is ^et the beste game of alle. 

That sche, for whom they han this jolitee, 

Can hem therfore as moche thank as me. 950 

Sche woot no more of al this hoote fare. 

By God, than wot a cockow or an hare. 

But al moot ben assayed, hoot and cold; 

A man moot ben a fool or ^ong or old; 

I woot it by myself ful ^ore agon: 955 

For in my tyme a servant was I on. 

And therfore, syn I knowe of loves peyne, 

And wot how sore it can a man distreyne, 

As he that hath ben caught of te in his laas, 

I you f oryeve al holly this trespaas, 960 

At requeste of the queen that kneleth heere, 

And eek of Emelye, my suster deere. 

And ye schul bothe anon unto me swere, 

That neveremo ye schul my corowne dere, 

Ne make werre upon me night ne day, 965 

But ben my freendes in al that ye may. 

I yow toryeYe this trespas every del." 

And they him swore his axyng fayre and wel, 

And him of lordschipe and of mercy prayde. 

And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he sayde: 970 

** To speke of real lynage and richesse. 

Though that sche were a queen or a pryncesse, 

Ech of ^ow bothe is worthy douteles 

To wedden when tyme is, but natheles 

I speke as for my suster Emelye, 975 

For whom ye han this stryf and jelousye, 

Ye wite youreself sche may not wedde two 

At oones, though ye fight en evere mo: 

949. Jolitee, joyfulness— said of course ironically. 

950. Can. . . . thank, acknowledges an obligation, owe? thanks. 



66 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

That oon of ^ow, al be Mm loth or leef. 

He mot go pypen in an ivy leef; 980 

This is to sayn, sche may nought now han bothe, 

Al be .ye nevere so jelous, ne so wrothe. 

And for-thy I you putte in this degre, 

That ech of you schal have his destyne, 

As him is schape, and herkneth in v^hat wyse; 985 

Lo here ^oure ende of that I schal devyse. 

My wil is this, for plat couclusioun, 
Withouten eny repplicacioun, 
If that you liketh, tak it for the beste, 
That everych of ^ou schal gon wher him leste 990 

Frely withouten raunsoun or daunger; 
And this day fyfty wykes, f er ne neer. 



979. Loth or leef, displeasing or pleasing. 

980. Pypen in an ivy leef is an expression like " blow the buck's-horn," 

to console oneself with any useless or frivolous employment; it 
occurs again in Troilus, v. 1434. Cp. the expression "to go and 
whistle." 
992. Fer ne neer, farther nor nearer, neither more nor less. "After 
some little trouble, I have arrived at the conclusion that Chaucer 
has given us sufficient data for ascertaining both the days of the 
month and of the week of many of the principal events of the 
'Knightes Tale.' The following scheme will explain many things 
hitherto unnoticed. 

" On Friday, May 4, before 1 a.m., Palamon breaks out of prison. 
For (1. 605) it was during the ' third night of May, but (1. 609) a little 
after midnight.' That it was Friday is evident also, from observ- 
ing that Palamon hides himself at day's approach, whilst Arcite 
rises 'for to doon his observance to May, remembryng of the 
poynt of his desire.' To do this best, he would go into the fields 
at sunrise (1. 633), during the hour dedicated to Venus, i. e. during 
the hour after sunrise on a Friday. 

" We must understand ' Fyfty wekes ' to be a poetical expression 
for a year. This is not mere supposition, however, but a certainty; 
because the appointed day was in the month of May, whereas fifty 
weeks and no more would land us in April. Then ' this day fyfty 
wekes ' means ' this day year,' viz. on May 5. 

" Now, in the year following (supposed not a leap-year), the 5th 
of May would be Sunday. But this we are expressly told in 1. 1330. 
It must be noted, however, that this is not the day of the tourna- 
ment, but of the muster for it, as may be gleaned from 11. 992-995 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 67 

Everich of yon schal brynge an hundred knightes, 

Armed for lystes up at alle rightes, 

Al redy to derrayne hire by bataylle. 995 

And this byhote I ^ou withouten f aylle 

Upon my trouthe, and as I am a knight, 

That whether of ^ow bothe that hath might, 

This is to seyn, that whether he or thou 

May with his hundred, as I spak of now, 1000 

Slen his contrarye, or out of lystes dryve, 

Thanne schal I ^even Emelye to wyve. 

To whom that fortune ^eveth so fair a grace. 

The lystes schal I maken in this place, 

And God so wisly on my sowle re we, 1005 

As I schal evene juge ben and trewe. 

Ye schul non other ende with me make, 

That oon of ^/ow ne schal be deed or take. 

And if ^ou thinketh this is wel i-sayd, 

Sayeth ^oure avys, and holdeth i/ow apayd. 1010 

This is ^oure ende and ^oure conclu.'doun. " 

Who loketh lightly now but Palamoun ? 

Who spryngeth up for joye but Arcite ? 

Who couthe telle, or who couthe it endite. 



and 1238. The tenth hour ' inequal ' of Sunday night, or the second 
hour before sunrise of Monday, is dedicated to Venus, as explained 
by Tyrwhitt (1. 1359); and therefore Palamon then goes to the tem- 
ple of Venus. The third hour after this, the first after sun- 
rise on Monday, is dedicated to Luna or Diana, and during this 
Emily goes to Diana's temple. The third hour after this again, 
the fourth after sunrise, is dedicated to Mars, and therefore Arcite 
then goes to the temple of Mars. But the rest of the day is spent 
merely in jousting and preparations — 

" ' Al the Monday jousten they and daunce.' (I. 1628.) 
The tournament therefore takes place on Tuesday, May 7, on the 
day of the week presided over by Mars, as was very fitting; and 
this perhaps helps to explain Saturn's exclamation in 1. 1811, 
' Mars hath his wille.' 

"Thus far all the principal days, with their events, are ex- 
actly accounted for." (Walter W. Skeat.) 
1008. That one of you shall be either slain or taken prisoner, i. e. one of 
you must be fairly conquered. ^ 



68 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

The joye that is maked in the place 1015 

Whan Theseus hath don so fair a grace ? 
But down on knees wente every maner wight, 
And thanken him with al here herte and miht. 
And namely the Thebans ofte sithe. 
And thus with good hope and with herte blithe 1020 
They take here leve, and hom-ward gonne they ryde 
To Thebes with his olde walks wyde. 

I trow^e men wolde deme it necligence. 
If I for^ete to telle the dispence 

Of Theseus, that goth so busily ' 1025 

To maken up the lystes rially; 
That such a noble theatre as it was, 
I dar wel sayn that in this world ther nas. 
The circuit a myle was aboute. 

Walled of stoon, and dyched al withoute. 1030 

Round was the schap, in manere of compaas, 
Ful of degrees, the heighte of sixty paas 
That whan a man was set on o degre 
He lette nought his felawe for to se. 

Est-ward ther stood a gate of marbel whit, 1035 

West-ward right such another in the opposit. 
And schortly to conclude, such a place 
Was non in erthe as in so litel space; 
For in the lond ther nas no crafty man. 
That geometrye or arsmetrike can, 1040 

Ne portreyour, ne kervere of ymages, 
That Theseus ne 2^af hem mete and wages 
The theatre for to maken and devyse. 
And for to don his ryte and sacrifise. 
He est-ward hath upon the gate above, 1045 

In worschipe of Venus, goddesse of love, 

1031. The various parts of this round theatre are subsequently de- 
scribed. On the North was the turret of Diana with oratory; on 
the East the gate of Venus with altar above ; on the West the tem- 
ple of Mars, with Northern door, very narrow (1. 1126), through 
which the light shone in (1. 1129). 

1032. Fill of degrees, full of steps (placed one above another, as in an 
amphitheatre). p 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 69 

Don make an auter and an oratorye; 

And west-ward, in the mynde and in memorye 

Of Mars, he hath i-maked such another. 

That coste largely of gold a fother, 1050 

And north-ward, in a toret on the walle, 

Of alabaster whit and reed coralle 

An oratorye riche for to see. 

In worschipe of Dyane, of chastite, 

Hath Theseus doon wrought in noble wise. 1055 

But yit hadde I for^eten to devyse 

The noble kervyng, and the purtreitures, 

The schap, the contenaunce and the figures, 

That weren in these oratories thre. 

First in the temple of Venus maystow se 1060 

Wrought on the wal, ful pitous to byholde. 
The broken slepes, and the sykes colde; 
The sacred teeres, and the waymentyng; 
The fyry strokes of the desiryng. 

That loves servauntz in this lyf enduren; 1065 

The othes, that here covenantz assuren. 
Plesaunce and hope, desyr, fool-hardynesse, 
Beaute and youthe, bauderye and richesse, 
Charmes and force, lesynges and flaterye. 
Dispense, busynesse, and jelousye, 1070 

That werede of yelwe guides a gerland. 
And a cokkow sittyng on hire hand; 
Festes, instrumentz, caroles, daunces. 
Lust and array, and alle the circumstaunces 
Of love, whiche that I rekned have and schal, 1075 
By ordre weren peynted on the wal. 
And mo than 1 can make of mencioun. 
For sothly al the mount of Citheroun, 



1048. And on the westward [side] in memorie. 

1061. 071 the wal^ viz. over the gate and wall, i. e. orer a sort of bar- 
bican. 

1071. Guides, a gold or turnsol. The corn - marigold in the North is 
called goulans, guilde, or goles, and in the South, golds. 

1078. Citheroun = Cithaeron, sacred to Venus. 



70 THE k:n^ightes tale. 

Ther Yenus hath hire prindipal dwellyng. 

Was schewed on the wall in portreying, 1080 

With al the gardyn, and the lustynesse. 

Kought was for^/ete the porter Ydelnesse, 

Ne Narcisus the fayre of yore agon, 

Ne ^et the folye of kyng Salamon, 

Ne eek the grete strengthe of Hercules, 1085 

Thenchauntementz of Medea and Circes, 

Ke of Turnus with the hardy fiers corage. 

The riche Cresus caytif in servage. 

Thus may ye seen that wisdom ne richesse, 

Beaute ne sleighte, strengthe, ne hardynesse, 1090 

Ne may with Yenus holde champartye. 

For as hire lust the world than may sche gye, 

Lo, alle thise folk i- caught were in hire las. 

Til they for wo ful often sayde alias. 

Sufflceth heere ensamples oon or tuo, 1095 

And though I couthe rekne a thousend mo. 

The statue of Yenus, glorious for to see. 

Was naked fletyng in the large see. 

And fro the navele doun al covered was 

With wawes grene, and brighte as eny glas. 1100 

A citole in hire right hond hadde sche. 

And on hire heed, ful semely for to see, 

A rose garland fresch and wel smellyng. 

Above hire heed hire dowves tlikeryng. 

Biforn hire stood hire some Cupido, 1105 

Upon his schuldres wynges hadde he two; 

And blynd he was, as it is ofte scene; 

A bowe he bar and arwes brighte and kene. 

Why schulde I nought as wel eek telle ^ou al 

The portreiture, that was upon the wal 1110 

Withinne the temple of mighty Mars the reede ? 

Al peynted was the wal in lengthe and breede 



1082, In the Romaunt of the Rose, Idleness is the porter of the garden in 
which the rose (Beauty) is kept. 

1083. Of yore agon, of years gone by. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 71 

Lik to the estres of the grisly place, 

That highte the grete temple of Mars in Trace, 

In thilke colde frosty regioun, 1115 

Ther as Mars hath his sovereyn mancioun. 

First on the wal was peynted a forest. 

In which ther dwelleth neyther man ne best, 

With knotty knarry bareyne trees olde 

Of stubbes scharpe and hidous to byholde; 1120 

In which ther ran a swymbel in a swough. 

As though a storm schulde bersten every bough: 

And downward on an hil under a bente, 

-Ther stood the temple of Marz armypotente. 

Wrought al of burned steel, of which thentre 1125 

Was long and streyt, and gastly for to see. 

And therout cam a rage and such a vese, 

That it made all the gates for to rese. 

The northen light in at the dores schon. 

For wyndowe on the wal ne was ther noon, 1130 

1121. A swymbel in a swough, a moaning (or sighing) in a general com- 
motion (caused by the wind). 
1124. Marz armypotente. 

" O thou rede Marz armypotente, 

That in the trende baye base made thy throne; 

That God arte of bataile and regent, 

And rulest all that alone; 

To whom I profre precious present, 

To the makande my moone 

With herte, body and alle myn entente, 

In worshippe of thy reverence 
On thyn owen Tewesdaye." 

(Sowdone of Babyloyne, p. 35.) 

1127. Vese is glossed impetus in the Ellesmere MS. Mr. Skeat once sug- 
gested that it is the bise or North wind (the North belongs to Mars 
in 1. 1129); but now thinks the above gloss to be right. See the 
Glossary. 

1128. Rese = to shake, quake. 

1129. '"' I suppose the northern light is the aurora borealis, but this phe- 
nomenon is so rarely mentioned by mediaeval writers, that it may 
be questioned whether Chaucer meant anything more than the 
faint and cold illumination receiv^ed by reflexion through the door 
of an apartment fronting the north." (Marsh.) 



12 THE KmOHTES TALE, 

Thurgh wMcli men mighten any light discerne. 
The dores were alle of ademauntz eterne, 
I-clenched overthwart and endelong 
With iren tough; and, for to make it strong, 
Every piler the temple to susteene 1135 

Was tonne greet, of iren bright and schene. 
Ther saugh I first the derke ymaginyng 
Of felony e, and ^1 the compassyng; 
The cruel ire, as reed as eny gleede; 
The pikepurs, and eek the pale drede; 1140 

The smylere with the knyf under the cloke; 
The schepne brennyng with the blake smoke; 
The tresoun of the murtheryng in the bed; 
The open werre, with woundes al bi-bled; 
Contek with bloody knyf, and scharp manace. 1145 
Al ful of chirkyng was that sory place. 
The sleere of himself ^et saugh I there, 
His herte-blood hath bathed al his here; 
The nayl y-dryven in the schode a-nyght; 
The colde deth, with mouth gapyng upright. 1150 

Amyddes of the temple sat meschaunce. 
With disconfort and sory contenaunce. 
ret saugh I woodnesse laughying in his rage; 
Armed complaint, outhees, and fiers outrage. 
The caroigne in the bussh, with throte y-corve: 1155 
A thousand slain, and not of qualme y-storve.; 
The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; 
The toun destroied, ther was no thyng laft. 
Fet sawgh I brent the schippes hoppesteres; 
The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: 1160 

The sowe freten the child right in the cradel; 
The cook i-skalded, for al his longe ladel. 



1146. Chirkyng is properly the cry of birds. 

1149. This line contains an allusion to the death of Sisera, Judges iv. 

1159. Hoppesteres. -Speght explains this word by pilots (gubernaculum 
tenentes). Others explain it hopposteres = opposteres = opposing, 
hostile, so that schippes hoppesteres = bellatrices carince (Statius.) 

1162. For al, notwithstanding. 



TEfE KNIGHTES TALE. ^3 

Nought was for^eten by the infortune of Marte; 

The cartere over-ryden with his carte. 

Under the whel ful lowe he lay adoun. 1165 

Ther were also of Martes divisioun, 

The harbour, and the bocher; and the smyth 

That forgeth scharpe swerdes on his stith. 

And al above depeynted in a tour 

Saw I conquest sittyng in gret honour, 1170 

With the scharpe swerd over his heed 

Hangynge by a sotil twynes threed. 

Depeynted was the slaughtre of Julius, 

Of grete Nero, and of Anthonius; 

Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn, 1175 

Fet was here deth depeynted ther byforn. 

By manasyng of Mars, right by figure. 

So was it schewed in that purtreiture 

As is depeynted in the sterres above, 

Who schal be slayn or elles deed for love. 1180 

Sufficeth oon ensample in stories olde, 

I may not rekne hem alle, though I wolde. 

The statue of Mars upon a carte stood. 
Armed, and lokede grym as he were wood; 



1163. Infortune of Marte. Tyrwhitt thinks that Chaucer might intend to 
be satirical in these lines; but the introduction of such apparently- 
undignified incidents arose from the confusion already mentioned 
of the god of war with the planet to which his name was given, 
and the influence of which was supposed to produce all the disasters 
here mentioned. The following extract from the Compost of Ptole- 
meus gives some of the supposed effect of Mars: " Under Mars is 
borne theves and robbers that kepe hye wayes, and do hurte to 
true men, and nyght walkers, and quarell pykers, bosters, mock- 
ers, and skoffers, and these men of Mars causeth warre and mur- 
ther, and batayle, they wyll be gladly smythes or workers of yron, 
lyght fyngred, and lyers, gret swerers of othes in vengeable wyse, 
and a great summyler and crafty. He is red and angry, with 
blacke heer and lytell iyen; he shall be a great walker, and a 
maker of swordes and knyves, and a sheder of mannes blode, and 
a fornycatour, and a speker of rybawdry . . . and good to be a 
barboure and a blode letter, and to draw tethe, and is peryllous of 
hishandes." 



74 - THE KOTGHTES TALE. 

And over Ms heed ther schyuen two figures 1185 

Of sterres, that been cleped in scriptures, 

That oon Pueila, that other Rubeus. 

This god of armes was arrayed thus: — 

A wolf ther stood byforn him at his feet 

With eyen reede, and of a man he eet; 1190 

With sotyl pen eel depeynted was this storie, 

In redoutyng of Mars and of his glorie. 

Now to the temple of Dyane the chaste 
As schortly as I can 1 wol me haste, 
To telle ^ou al the descripcioun. ' 1195 

Depeynted ben the walles up and down. 
Of huntyng and of schamefast chastite. 
Ther saugh I how woful Calystope, 
Whan that Dyane agreved was with here. 
Was turned from a womman to a here, 1200 

And after was sche maad the loode-sterre; 
Thus was it peynted, I can say you no ferre; 
Hire sone is eek a sterre, as men may see. 
Ther sawgh I Dane yturned til a tree, 
I mene nou^At the goddesse Dyane, 1205 

But Penneus dougJiter, which that highte Dane, 
Ther saugh I Atheon an hert i-maked, 
For vengeaunce that he saugh Dyane al naked; 



1187. The names of two figures in geomancy, representing two constel- 
lations in heaven. " Pueila signifieth Mars retrograde, and Rubeus 
Mars direct." (Speght.) 

1198. Calystope = CalUsto, sl daughter of Lycaon, King of Arcadia, and 
companion of Diana. 

1201, 1203. " Cp. Ovid's Fasti, ii. 153-192; especially 189, 190, 

' Signa propinqua micant. Prior est, quam dicimus Arcton, 
Arctophylax form am terga sequentis habet.' " 
The nymph Callisto was changed into Arctos or the Great Bear. 
This was sometimes confused with the other Arctos or Lesser 
Bear, in which was situate the lodestar or Polestar. Chaucer has 
followed this error. 

1204, 1206. Dane = Daphne, a girl beloved by Apollo, and changed into 
a laurel. See Berens's Mythology. 

1207. Atheon = Actaeon. See Berens's Mythology. 



THE KJSIGHTES TALE. 15 

I saugh how that his houndes han him caught, 

And freten him, for that they knewe him naught. 1210 

Fit peynted was a litel forthermoor, 

How Atthalaunte huntede the wilde boor, 

And Meleagre, and many another mo, 

For which Dyane wroughte hem care and woo. 

Ther saugh 1 many another wonder storye, 1215 

The whiche me list not drawe to memorye. 

This goddesse on an hert ful hyhe sect, 

With smale hounds al aboute hire feet. 

And undernethe hire feet sche hadde a moone, 

Wexyng it was, and schulde wane soone. 1220 

In gaude greene hire statue clothed was, 

With bowie in houde, and arwes in a cas. 

Hir ejghen caste sche ful lowe adoun, 

Ther Pluto hath his derke regioun. 

A womman travailyng was hire biforn, 1225 

But, for hire child so longe was unborn, 

Ful pitously Lucyna gan sche calle, 

And seyde, '' Help, for thou mayst best of alle.'* 

Wei couthe he peynte lyfly that it wrougJite, 

With many a floryn he the hewes boughte. 1230 

Now been thise listes maad, and Theseus 
That at his grete cost arrayede thus 
The temples and the theatre every del. 
Whan it was don, hym likede wonder wel. 
But stynte 1 wil of Theseus a lite, 1235 

And speke of Palamon and of Arcite. 

The day approcheth of here retournynge, 
That everych schulde an hundred kni^^tes brynge, 
The bataille to derreyne, as I you tolde; 
And til Athenes, here covenant to holde, 1240 

Hath everych of hem brought an hundred knightes 
Wel armed for the werre at alle rightes. 



1212. Atthalaunte = Atalanta. See Berens's Mythology. 

1216. Not drawe to memorye = not drawen to memory, not call to mind. 

1228. Thou mayst best, art best able to help, thou hast most power. 



76 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

And sikerly ther trowede many a man 

That nevere, sithtlien that the world bigan. 

As for to speke of knighthod of here hond, 1245 

As f er as God hath maked see or lond, 

Nas, of so fewe, so noble a compainye. 

For every wight that lovede ch}^alrye. 

And wolde, his thankes, han a passant name, 

Hath preyed that he mighte ben of that game; 1250 

And wel was him, that therto chosen was. 

For if ther f elle to morwe such a caas. 

Ye knowen wel, that every lusty knight, 

That loveth paramours, and hath his might. 

Were it in Engelond, or elleswhere, 1255 

They wolde, here thankes, wilne to be there. 

To fight e for a lady; henediciie ! 

It were a lusty sighte for to see. 

And right so ferden they with Palamon. 

With him ther wente knyghtes many oon; 1260 

Som wol ben armed in an habergoun, 

In a brest-plat and in a light g}T)oun; 

And somme woln have a peyre plates large; 

And somme woln have a Pruce scheld, or a targe; 

Somme woln been armed on here legges weel, 1265 

And have an ax, and somme a mace of steel. 

Ther nys no newe gyse, that it nas old. 

Armed were they, as I have you told, 

Everich after his opinioun. 

Ther maistow sen comjTig with Palamoun 1270 

Ligurge himself, the grete kyng of Trace; 
Blak was his herd, and manly was his face. 
The cercles of his eyen in his heed 
They gloweden bytwixe ^elwe and reed; 
And lik a griffoun lokede he aboute, 1275 

With kempe heres on his browes stowte; 

1257. Benedicite is pronounced nearly as a trisyllable. It is so some- 
times, though five syllables in 1 927. 
1267. This line seems to mean that there is nothing new under the sun. 
1276. Kempe heres, shaggy, rough hairs. Tyrwhitt and subsequent edi- 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 77 

His lymes greete, his brawnes harde and stronge. 
His schuldres broode, his armes rounde and longe. 
And as the gyse was in his contre, 
Ful heye upon a char of gold stood he, 1280 

With foure white boles in the trays. 
Instede of cote-armure over his harnays, 
With nayles ^elwe, and brighte as eny gold, 
He hadde a beres skyn, col-blak, for-old. 
His longe heer was kembd byhynde his bak, 1285 

As eny raven es f ether it schon for-blak. 
A WTethe of gold arm-gret, of huge wighte, 
- Upon his heed, set ful of stoones brighte, 
Of fyne rubies and of dyamauntz. 
Aboute his char ther wenten white alauntz, 1290 

Twenty and mo, as grete as eny steer. 
To hunten at the lyoun or the deer. 
And folwede him, with mosel faste i-bounde, 
Colers of golde, and torettz fyled rounde. 
An hundred lordes hadde he in his route 1295 

Armed ful wel, with hertes sterne and stoute. 

With Arcita, in stories as men fynde. 
The grete Emetreus, the kyng of Ynde, 
Uppon a steede bay, trapped in steel. 
Covered in cloth of gold dyapred wel, 1300 

Cam rydyng lyk the god of armes, Mars. 
His coote-armure was of cloth of Tars, 
Cowched with perles whyte and rounde and grete. 
His sadel was of brend gold newe ybete; 

tors have taken for granted that kempe = kemped, combed ; but 

kempe is rather the reverse of this, and instead of smoothly combed, 

means bent, curled, and hence rough, shaggy. 
1284. For-old, very old. 
1286. For-blak is generally explained as for blackness; it means very 

black. 
1294. Colers of, having collars of. Some MSS. read colerd with. 

Torettz, probablj'' rings that will turn round, because they pass 

through an eye which is a little larger than the thickness of 

the ring. (Skeat.) 
1302. Cloth of Tars, a kind of silk, said to be the same as in other places 

is called Tartarine. 



THE KSIGHTES TALE. 

A mantelet upon liis schuldre hangynge 1305 

Bret-ful of rubies reede, as fir sparklynge. 

His crispe heer lik rjTiges was i-ronne, 

And that was ^ehve, and gliterede as the sonne. 

His nose was heigli, Ms even bright cvtryn, 

His lippes rounde, his colour was sangT\'Tn, 1310 

A fewe fraknes in his face y-spreynd, 

Betwixen ?/elwe and somdel blak y-meynd, 

And as a lyoun he his lokyng caste. 

Of fyve and twenty ^eer his age I caste. 

His herd was wel bygonne for to sprynge; 1315 

His voys was as a trumpe thunderynge. 

Upon his heed he werede of laurer grene 

A garlond fresch and lusty for to sene. 

Upon his hond he bar for his dedujt 

An egle tame, as eny lylie whyt. 1320 

An hundred lordes hadde he with him ther, 

Al armed sauf here hedes in here ger, 

Ful richely in alle maner thinges. 

For trusteth wel, that dukes, erles, kynges, 

Were gadred in this noble compainye, 1325 

For love, and for encrees of chivalrye. 

Aboute this kyng ther ran on every part 

Ful many a tame lyoun and lepart. 

And in this wise thise lordes alle and some 

Been on the Sonday to the cite come 1330 

Aboute prime, and in the toun alight. 

This Theseus, this duk, this worthy knight. 

Whan he hadde brought hem into his cite, 

And ynned hem, everich at his degre 

He festeth him, and doth so gret labour 1335 

To esen hem, and don hem al honour. 

That ^t men wene that no mannes vryt 

Of non estat ne cowde amenden it. 

The mynstralcye, the servyce at the feste, 

The grete yiftes to the moste and leste, 1340 

1329. AUe and some, ''all and singular," " one and all." 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 79 

The riclie array of Theseus paleys, 

Ne who sat first ne last upon the deys. 

What ladies fayrest ben or best daunsynge, 

Or which of hem can daunce best and singe, 

Ne who most felyngly speketh of love; 1345 

What haukes sitten on the perclie above, 

What houndes liggen on the floor adoun: 

Of al this make I now no mencioun, 

But of theffect; that thinketh me the beste; 

Now comth the po}Tit, and herkneth if ^ou leste. 1350 

The Sonday night, or day bigan to springe. 
When Palamon the larke herde synge. 
Although it nere nought day by houres tuo, 
Fit sang the larke, and Palamon also. 
With holy herte, and with an heih corage 1355 

He roos, to wend en on his pilgrymage 
Unto the blisful Citherea benigne, 
I mene Venus, honurable and digne. 
And in hire hour he walketh forth a paas 



1359. And in hire hour. The first hour of the Sunday, reckoning from 
sunrise, belonged to the sun, the planet of the day; the second to 
Venus, the third to Mercury, &c.; and continuing this method of 
allotment, we shall find that the twenty-second hour also belonged 
to the Sun, and the twenty-third to Venus; so that the hour of 
Venus really was, as Chaucer says, two hours before the sunrise 
of the following day. Accordingly, we are told in 1. 1413, that the 
third hour after Palamon set out for the temple of Venus, the Sun 
rose, and Emily began to go to the temple of Diane. It is not said 
that this was the hour of Diane, or the Moon, but it really was; for, 
as we have just seen, the twentj-third hour of Sunday belonged to 
Venus, the twenty-fourth must be given to Mercury, and the first 
hour of Monday falls in course to the Moon, the presiding planet 
of that day. After this Arcite is described as walking to the tem- 
ple of Mars, 1. 1509, in the nexte houre of Mars, that is, the fourth 
hour of the day. It is necessary to take these words together, for 
the nexte houre, singly, would signify the second hour of the day; 
but that, according to the rule of rotation mentioned above, 
belonged to Saturn, as the third did to Jupiter. The fourth was 
the nexte houre of Mars that occurred after the hour last named. 
(Tyrwhitt.) In fact, just as Emily is three hours later than Pala- 
mon, so Arcite is three hours later than Emily. (Skeat.) 



80 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Unto the lystes, ther hire temple was, 1360 

And doun he kneleth, and, with humble cheere 

And herte sore, he seide as i/e schul heere. 

''Faireste of faire, o lady myn Venus, 

Doughter of Jove, and spouse to Yulcanus, 

Thou gladere of the mount of Citheroun, 1365 

For thilke love thou haddest to Adoun 

Have pite of my bittre teeres smerte, 

Aud tak myn humble prayere to thin herte. 

Alias! I ne have no langage to telle 

Theffectes ne the tormentz of myn helle; ' 1370 

Myn herte may myne harmes nat bewreye; 

I am so confus, that I cannot seye. 

But mercy, lady brighte, that knowest wele 

My thought, and seest what harmes that I fele, 

Considre al this, and rewe upon my sore, 1375 

As wisly as I schal for evermore, 

Emforth my might, thi trewe servaunt be. 

And holden werre alway with chastite; 

That make I myn avow, so ye me helpe. 

I kepe nat of armes for to ^elpe. 1380 

Ne I ne aske nat to-morwe to have victorie, 

Ne renoun in this caas, ne veyne glorie 

Of pris of armes, blowen up and doun. 

But I woide have fully possessioun 

Of Emelye, and dye in thi servise; 1385 

Fynd thou the manere how, and in what wyse 

1 recche nat, but it may better be. 

To have victorie of hem, or they of me. 

So that I have my lady in myne armes. 

For though so be that Mars is god of armes, 1390 

Tbure vertu is so gret in hevene above. 

That if you list I schal wel han my love. 

Thy temple wol I worschipe everemo, 

1366. Adoun, Adonis. 

1380. I care not of arms (success in arms) to boast. 

1381. Nelne aske &c., are to be pronounced as ni naske, <&c, So in 1. 

1772 of this tale, Ne in must be pronounced as nin. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 81 

And on thin auter, wher 1 ryde or go, 

I wol don sacrifice, and fyres beete. 1395 

And if ye wol nat so, my lady sweete. 

Than praye I the, to-morwe with a spere 

That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere. 

Thanne rekke I nat, whan I have lost my lyf^ 

Though that Arcite wynne hire to his wyf . 1400 

Thisis theffect and ende of my prayere, 

rif me my love, thou blisful lady deere." 

Whan thorisoun was doon of Palamon, 

His sacrifice he dede, and that anoon 

Ful pitously, with alle circumstaunces, 1405 

Al telle I nat as now his observaunces. 

But atte laste the statue of Venus schook, 

And made a signe, wherby that he took 

That his prayere accepted was that day. 

For though the signe schewede a delay, 1410 

Fet wiste he wel that graunted was his boone; 

And with glad herte he wente him hom ful soone. 

The thridde hour inequal that Palamon 
Bigan to Yenus temple for to goon. 
Up roose the sonne, and up roos Emelye, 1415 

And to the temple of Diane gan sche hye. 
Hire maydens, that sche thider with hire ladde, 
Ful redily with hem the f^^r they hadde, 
Thencens, the clothes, and the remenant al 
That to the sacrifice longen schal; 1420 

The homes fulle of meth, as was the gyse; 
Ther lakkede nought to don hire sacrifise. 
Smokyng the temple, ful of clothes faire. 



1394. Wher I ryde or go, whether I ride or walk. 

1395. Fyres beete, to kindle or light fires. Beete also signifies to mend 
or make up the fire ; see 1 . 1434. 

1413. The thridde hour inequal. In the astrological system, the day, 
from sunrise to sunset, and the night, from sunset to sunrise, being 
each divided into twelve hours, it is plain that the hours of the day 
and night were never equal except just at the equinoxes. The 
hours attributed to the planets were of this unequal sort. 



82 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

This Emelye with herte debonaire 

Hire body wessch with w^ater of a welle ; 1425 

But how sche dide hire rite I dar nat telle, 

But it be eny thing in general; 

And ^et it were a game to heren al; 

To him that meneth wel it were no charge: 

But it is good a man ben at his large. 1430 

Hire brighte heer was kempt, untressed al; 

A coroune of a greene ok cerial 

Upon hire heed was set ful f aire and meete. 

Tuo fyres on the'auter gan sche beete, - 

And dide hire thinges, as men may biholde 1435 

In Stace of Thebes, and thise bokes olde. 

Whan kyndled was the fyr, with pitous cheere 

Unto Dyane sche spak, as y^ may heere. 

'' O chaste goddesse of the woodes greene. 
To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is scene, 1440 
Queen of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe, 
Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe 
Ful many a year, and woost what I desire. 
As keep me fro thi vengeaunce and thin yre, 
That Atheon aboughte trewely: 1445 

Chaste goddesse, wel wost thou that I 
Desire to ben a mayden al my lyf , 
Ne nevere w^ol I be no love ne wyf . 
I am, thou wost, ^it of thi compainye, 
A mayde, and love huntyng and venerye, 1450 

And for to walken in the woodes wylde, ' 
And nought to ben a wyf, and ben with chylde. 
Nought wol I knowe the compainye of man. 
Now helpe me, lady, syth ^e may and kan, 
For tho thre formes that thou hast in the. 1455 

And Palamon, that hath such love to me, 

1428. A game, a pleasure. 

1436. In Stace of Thebes, in the Thebaid of Statius. 
1445. Aboughte, atoned for. Cp. the phrase " to buy dearly.'* 
1455. Thi' e formes. Diana is called Diva Triformis;— in heaven, Luna; 
on earth, Diana and Lueina, and in hell, Proserpina. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 83 

And eek Arcite, thou loveth me so sore, 
This grace I praye the withouten raore, 
As sende love and pees betwixe hem two; 
And fro me torne awey here hertes so, 1460 

That al here hoote love, and here desir. 
And al here bisy torment, and here fyr 
Be que^^nt, or turned in another place; 
And if so be thou wolt do me no grace, 
Or if my destyne be schapen so, 1465 

That I schal needes have on of hem two. 
As sende me him that most desireth me. 
Bihold, goddesse of clene chastite. 
The bittre teeres that on my cheekes falle. 
Syn thou art mayde, and kepere of us alle, 1470 

My maydenhode thou kepe and wel conserve. 
And whil I lyve a mayde I wil the serve. " 
The fyres brenne upon the auter cleere, 
Whil Emelye was thus in hire prey ere; 
But sodeinly sche saugh a sighte queynte, 1475 

For right anon on of the fyres queynte. 
And quykede agayn, and after that anon 
That other fyr was queynt, and al agon; 
And as it queynte, it made a whistelynge. 
As doth a wete brond in his brennynge. 1480 

And at the brondes ende out-ran anoon 
As it were bloody dropes many oon; 
For which so sore agast was Emelye, 
That sche was wel neih mad, and gan to crie, 
For sche ne wiste what it signifyede; 1485 

But oonly for the f eere thus sche cryede 
And wep, that it was pite for to heere. 
And therwithal Dyane gan appeare. 
With bowe in hond, right as an hunteresse. 
And seyde: " Doughter, stynt thyn hevynesse. 1490 
Among the goddes hye it is aff ermed. 
And by eterne word write and conf ermed. 
Thou schalt ben wedded unto con of tho 
That ban for the so moche care and wo; 



84 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

But unto which of hem I may nat telle. 1495 

Farwel, for I ne may no lenger dwelle. 

The f yres which that on myn auter brenne 

Schuln the declaren, or that thou go henne, 

Thyn aventure of love, as in this caas. " 

And with that word, the arwes in the caas 1500 

Of the goddesse clatren faste and rynge. 

And forth sche wente, and made a vanysschynge. 

For which this Emelye astoned was. 

And seide, '' What amount eth this, alias! 

I putte me in thy proteccioun, ' 1505 

Dyane, and in thi disposicioun/' 

And hoom sche goth anon the nexte waye. 

This is theffect, ther nys no more to saye. . 

The nexte houre of Mars folwynge this, 
Arcite unto the temple walked is 1510 

Of fierse Mars, to doon his sacrifise. 
With alle the rites of his payen wise. 
With pitous herte and heih devocioun. 
Right thus to Mars he sayde his orisoun: 
" O stronge god, that in the regnes colde 1515 

Of Trace honoured art and lord y-holde, 
And hast in every regne and every londe 
Of armes al the bridel in thyn honde. 
And hem fortunest as the lust devyse, 
Accept of me my pitous sacrifise. 1520 

If so be that my ^/outhe may deserve, 
And that my might be worthi for to serve 
Thy godhede that I may ben on of thine. 
Then praye I the to rewe upon my pyne. 
For thilke peyne, and thilke hoote fyre, 1525 

In which thou whilom brentest for desyre; 



1530 



1507. The nexte woye, the nearest way. 
1510. Walked is, has walked. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 85 



For thilke sorwe that was in thin herte, 

Have reuthe as wel upon my peynes smerte. 

I am ^ong and unkonnyng, as thou wost, 1535 

And as I trowe, with love offended most. 

That evere was eny lyves creature; 

For sehe, that doth me al this wo endure, 

Ne receheth nevere wher I synke or fleete. 

And wel I woot, or sche me mercy heete, 1540 

I moot with strengthe wynne hire in the place; 

And wel I wot, withouten help or grace 

Of the, ne may my strengthe nought avaylle. 

Then help me, lord, to-morwe in my bataylle, 

For thilke fyr that whilom brente the, 1545 

As wel as thilke fir now brenneth me; 

And do that I to morwe have victorie. 

Myn be the travaille, and thin be the gloria. 

Thy soverein temple wol I most honouren 

Of any place, and alway most labouren 1550 

In thy plesaunce and in thy craftes stronge. 

And in thy temple I wol my baner honge. 

And alle the armes of my compainye; 

And everemore, unto that day I dye, 

Eterne fyr I wol biforn the fynde. 1555 

And eek to this avow I wol me bynde: 

My herd, myn heer that hangeth longe adoun, 

That nevere yit ne felte offensioun 

Of rasour ne of schere, I wol the ^ive, 

And be thy trewe servaunt whil I lyve. 1560 

Now lord, have rowthe uppon my sorwes sore, 

Fif me the victorie, I aske the no more." 

The prey ere stynte of Arcita the stronge. 
The rynges on the temple dore that honge. 
And eek the dores, clatereden ful faste, 1565 

Of which Arcita somwhat hym agaste. 

1537. Lyves creature, creature alive, living creature, 
1547. Do, bring it about, cause it to come to pass, 



86 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

The fyres brende upon the auter brighte, 

That it gan al the temple for to lighte; 

And swote smel the ground anon upyaf , 

And Arcita anon his hand up-haf, 1570 

And more encens into the fyr he caste, 

With othre rites mo; and atte laste 

The statue of Mars bigan his hauberk rynge. 

And with that soun he herde a murmurynge 

Ful lowe and dym, that sayde thus, '' Yictorie." 1575 

For which he yaf to Mars honour and glorie. 

And thus with joye, and hope wel to fare, 

Arcite anoon unto his inne is fare. 

As fayn as fowel is of the brighte sonne. 

And right anon such stryf ther is bygonne 1580 

For thilke grauntyng, in the hevene above, 

Bitwixe Yenus the goddesse of love, 

And Mars the sterne god armypotente. 

That Jupiter was busy it to stente; 

Til that the pale Saturnus the colde, 1585 

That knew so manye of aventures olde. 

Fond in his olde experience an art. 

That he ful sone hath plesed every part. 

As soth is sayd, eelde hath gret avantage. 

In eelde is bothe wisdom and usage; 1590 

Men may the olde at-renne, but nat at-rede, 

Saturne anon, to stynte stryf and drede, 

Al be it that it is agayn his kynde, 

Of al this stryf he gan remedye fynde. 

*' My deere dou^Ater Yenus,'' quod Saturne, 1595 

'' My cours, that hath so wyde for to turne, 

1579. As joyful as the bird is of the bright sun. So in Piers PL, B. x. 153 

1591. Men may outrun old age, but not outwit (surpass its counsel). 

1593. Agayn his kynde. — According to the Compost of Ptolemeus, Saturn 
was influential in producing strife: '' And the children of the sayd 
Saturne shall be great jangeleres and chyders, . . . and they wil 
never forgyve tyll they be revenged of theyr quarell." 

1596. My cou7's. — The course of the planet Saturn. This refers to the orbit 
of Saturn, supposed to be the largest of all. So it was till Uranus 
and Neptune were discovered. (Skeat.) 



THE KI^IGHTES TALE. 8*7 

Hath more power than woot eny man. 

Myn is the drenchyng in the see so wan; 

Mjn is the prisoun in the derke cote; 

Myn is the strangljTig and hangyng by the throte; 1600 

The murmure, and the cherles rebellynge, 

The groyning, and the pryve empoysonynge : 

I do vengeance and pleyn correctioun. 

Whiles I dwelle in the signe of the lyoun. 

Myn is the ruyne of the hihe halles, 1605 

The fall}Tig of the toures and of the walles 

Upon the mjoiour or the carpenter. 

I slowh Sampsoun in schakyng the piler 

And myne ben the maladies colde, 

The derke tresoim, and the castes olde; 1610 

Myn lokyng is the fader of pestilence. 

Now wep nomore, I schal don diligence 

That Palamon, that is thyn owne knight, 

Schal have his lady, as thou hast him hight. 

Though Mars schal helpe his knight, yet natheles 1615 

Bitwixe ^ou ther moot som tyme be pees, 

Al be 2/e nought of oo complexioun. 

That causeth al day such divisioun. 

I am thin ay el, redy at thy wille; 

Wep thou nomore, I wol thi lust fulfille." 1620 

Now wol I stynten of the goddes above. 

Of Mars, and of Yenus goddesse of love, 

And telle you, as pleinly as I can, 

The gret effect for which that I bigan. 

Gret was the f este in Athenes that day, 1625 

And eek the lusty sesoun of that May 
Made every wight to ben in such plesaunce. 
That al that Monday jousten they and daunce. 
And spenden hit in Venus heigh servise. 
But by the cause that they schulde arise 1630 

1597. More poiver.— The Compost of Ptolemeus says of Saturn, "He is 
myghty of hymself. ... It is more than xxx yere or he may 
ronne his course. , . . Whan he doth reygne, there is moche 
debate." 



88 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Erly for to seen the grete figlit, 

Unto their reste wente they at nyght. 

And on the morwe whan that day gan sprynge, 

Of hors and herneys noyse and claterynge 

Ther was in the hostelryes al aboute; 1635 

And to the paleys rood ther many a route 

Of lordes, upon steedes and palfreys. 

Ther mayst thou seen devysyng of herneys 

So uncowth and so riche, and wrought so wel 

Of goldsmithrye, of browdyng, and of steel; 1640 

The scheldes brighte, testers, and trappures; 

Gold-beten helmes, hauberkes, cote-armures; 

Lordes in paramentz on here courseres, 

Knightes of retenue, and eek squyeres 

Naylyng the speres, and helmes bokelynge, 1645 

Giggyng of scheeldes, with layneres las3Tige; 

Ther as need is, they were nothing ydel; 

The fomy steedes on the golden bridel 

Gnawyng, and faste the armurers also 

With fyle and hamer prikyng to and fro; 1650 

Yemen on f oote, and communes many oon 

With schorte staves, thikke as they may goon; 

Pypes, trompes, nakeres, clariounes, 

That in the bataille blowe bloody sownes; 

The paleys ful of peples up and doun, 1655 

Heer thre, ther ten, hold}Tig here questioun, 

Dyvynyng of thise Thebane knightes two. 

Somme seyden thus, somme seyde it schal be so; 

Somme heelde with him with the blake herd, 1659 

Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke herd: 

Somme sayde helokede grym and he wolde fighte; 

He hath a sparth of twenti pound of wighte. 

Thus was the halle ful of divynynge, 

Longe after that the sonne gan to springe. 

The grete Theseus that of his sleep awaked 1665 

With mensti*alcye and noj^se that was maked, 

Held ^it the chambre of his paleys riche, 

Til that the Thebane knyghtes bothe i-liche 



THE KN^TGHTES TALE. 89 

Honoured weren into the paleys f et. 

Duk Theseus was at a wyndow set, 1670 

Arrayed right as he were a god in trone. 

The peple preseth thider-ward ful sone 

Him for to seen, and doon heigh reverence, 

And eek to herkne his hest and his sentence. 

An heraud on a skaffold made an hoo, 1675 

Til al the noyse of the peple was i-do; 

And whan he sawh the peple of noyse al stille, 

Tho schewede he the mighty dukes wille. 

'' The lord hath of his heih discrecioun 
Considered, that it were destruccioun 1680 

To gentil blood, to fighten in the gyse 
Of mortal bataille now in this emprise; 
Wherfore to schapen that they schuln not dye, 
He wol his firste purpos modifye. 

No man therfore, up peyne of los of lyf , 1685 

No maner schot, ne pollax, ne schort knyf 
Into the lystes sende, or thider brynge; 
Ne schort swerd for to stoke, with point bytynge 
No man ne drawe, ne here by his side. 
Ne no man schal unto his felawe ryde 1690 

But oon cours, with a scharpe ygrounde spere; 
Foyne if him lust on foote, himself to were. 
And he that is at meschief , schal be take, 
And nat slayn, but be brought unto the stake, 
That schal ben ordeyned on eyther syde; 1695 

But thider he schal by force, and ther abyde. 
And if so falle, the cheventein be take 
On eyther side, or elles sle his make. 
No lenger schal the turneyinge laste. 
God spede ^ou; go forth and ley on faste. 1700 

With long swerd and with mace ^glit your fille. 
Goth now 2/oure way; this is the lordes wille." 

The voice of peple touchede the hevene, 
So lowde cride thei with mery stevene : 

1688. Nor short sword having a biting (sharp) point to stab with, * 



90 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

'' God save such a lord that is so good, 1705 

He wilneth no destruccioun of blood !" 

Up gon the trompes and the melodye. 

And to the 1 jstes ryt the compainye 

By ordynaunce, thurghout the cite large, 

Hanged with cloth of gold, and not with sarge. 1710 

Ful lik a lord this noble duk gan ryde. 

These tuo Thebanes upon eyther side; 

And after rood the queen, and Emelye, 

And after that another compainye, 

Of oon and other after here degre. . 1715 

And thus they passen thurgliout the cite, 

And to the lystes come thei by tyme. 

It nas not of the day yet fully pryme. 

Whan set was Theseus ful riche and hye, 

Ypolita the queen and Emelye, 1720 

And other ladyes in degrees aboute. 

Unto the seetes preseth al the route; 

And west-ward, thurgh the z/ates under Marte, 

Arcite, and eek the hundred of his parte, 

With baner red ys entred right anoon; 1725 

And in that selve moment Palamon 

Is under Venus, est-ward in the place, 

With baner whyt, and hardy cheere and face. 

In al the world, to seeken up and doun, 
So evene withouten variacioun, 1730 

Ther nere suche compainyes twe^^e. 
For ther nas noon so wys that cowthe seye, ' 
That any hadde of other avauntage 
Of worthinesse, ne of estaat, ne age. 
So evene were they chosen for to gesse. 1735 

And in two renges faire they hem dresse. 
Whan that here names rad were everychon. 
That in here nombre gile were ther noon, 
Tho were the ?/ates schet, and cride was loude: 
** Doth now ^our devoir, ^onge knightes proudel" 1740 
The heraudes lafte here prikyng up and doun; 
Now ryngen trompes loude and clarioun ; 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 91 

Ther is nomore to sayn, but west and est 

In gon the speres ful sadly in arest; 

In goth the scharpe spore into the side. 1745 

Ther seen men who can juste, and who can ryde; 

Ther schyveren schafles upon scheeldes thykke; 

He feeleth thurgh the herte-spon the prikke. 

Up sprin gen speres twenty foot on highte; 

Out goon the swerdes as the silver brighte. 1750 

The helmes thei to-hewen and to-schrede; 

Out brest the blood, with sterne stremes reede. 

With mighty maces the bones thay to-breste. 

He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste. 

Ther stomblen steedes stronge, and doun goon alie. 

He roUeth under foot as doth a balle. 1756 

He foyneth on his feet with his tronchoun, 

And he him hurtleth with his hors adoun. 

He thurgh the body is hurt, and siththen take 

Maugre his heed, and brou^At unto the stake, 1760 

As forward was, right ther he moste abyde. 

Another lad is on that other syde. 

And som tyme doth hem Theseus to reste, 

Hem to refreissche, and drinken if hem leste. 

Fnl ofte a-day han thise Thebanes two 1765 

Togidere y-met, and wrought his felawe woo; 

Unhorsed hath ech other of hem tweye. 

Ther nas no tygre in the vale of Galgopheye, 

Whan that hire whelpe is stole, whan it is lite, 



1744. In go the spears full firmly into the res^;— i.e. the spears were 
couched ready for the attack. See Glossary, s. v. Arrest. 

1756-7. be . . . he = one . . . another. 

1757. Feet. Some MSS. read foot, but Tyrwhitt proposed to read foo, 
foe, enemy. See 1. 1692. 

1766. Wrought . . . ivoo, done harm. 

1768. Galgopheye. This word is variously written Colaphep, Galgaphey, 
Galapey. There was a town called Galapha in Mauritania Tin- 
gitana, upon the river Malva (Cellar. Geog. Ant. vii. p. 935), 
which perhaps may have given name to the vale here meant. 
(Tyrwhitt.) But perhaps Chaucer was thinking of the Vale of 
Gargaphie. 



02 THE KN^IGHTES TALE. 

So cruel on the hunte, as is Arcite 1770 

For jelous herte upon this Palamoun: 

Ne in Belmarye ther nis so fel lyoun. 

That hunted is, or for his hunger wood, 

Ne of his preye desireth so the blood. 

As Palamon to slen his foo Arcite. 1775 

The jelous strokes on here helmes byte; 

Out renneth blood on bothe here sides reede. 

Some tyme an ende ther is of every dede; 

For er the sonne unto the reste wente. 

The stronge kyng Emetreus gan hente - 1780 

This Palamon, as he faught with Arcite, 

And made his swerd depe in his flessch to byte; 

And by the force of twenti is he take 

XJny olden, and i-drawe unto the stake. 

And in the rescous of this Palamoun 1785 

The stronge kyng Ligurge is born adoun; 

And kyng Emetreus for al his strengthe 

Is born out of his sadel a swerdes lengthe, 

So hitte him Palamon er he were take; 

But al for nought, he was brought to the stake. 1790 

His hardy herte mighte him helpe nought; 

He moste abyde whan that he was caught. 

By force, and eek by composicioun. 

Who sorweth now but woful Palamoun, 

That moot no more gon agayn to fighte? 1795 

And whan that Theseus hadde seen this sighte, 

Unto the folk that foughten thus echon 

He cryde, '' Hoo! no more, for it is doonl . 

I wol be trewe juge, and nou^At partye. 

Arcyte of Thebes schal have Emelye, 1800 

That by his fortune hath hire faire i-wonne." 

Anoon ther is a noyse of peple bygonne 

For joye of this, so lowde and heye withalle. 

It semede that the listes scholde falle. 

What can now fayre Yenus doon above? 1805 

What seith sche now ? what doth this queen of love ? 
But wepeth so, for wantyng of hire wille. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 93 

Til that hire teeres in the lystes fiUe; 

Sche seyde; ''I am aschamed douteles." 

Saturnus seyde: '* Donghter, hold thy pees. 1810 

Mars hath his wille, his knight hath al his boone, 

And by myn heed thou schalt ben esed soone. " 

The trompes with the lowde mynstralcye, 
The herawdes, that ful lowde yo\]e and crye. 
Been in here wele for joye of daun Arcyte. 1815 

But herkneth me, and stynteth now a lite, 
Which a miracle ther bifel anoon. 
This fierse Arcyte hath of his helm ydoon. 
And on a courser for to sche we his face. 
He priketh endelonge the large place, 1820 

Lokyng upward upon his Emelye; 
And sche agayn him caste a frendlych ejgTie, 
(For wommen, as to speken in comune, 
Thay f olwen al the favour of fortune) 
And was al his cheere, as in his herte. 1825 

Out of the ground a fyr infernal sterte. 
From Pluto sent, at requeste of Saturne, 
For which his hors for feere gan to turne. 
And leep asyde, and foundrede as he leep; 
And or that Arcyte may taken keep, 1830 

He pighte him on the pomel of his heed. 
That in the place he lay as he were deed, 
His brest to-brosten with his sadel-bowe. 
As blak he lay as eny col or crowe, 
So was the blood y-ronnen in his face. 1835 

Anon he was y-born out of the place 
With herte soor, to Theseus paleys. 
Tho was he corven out of his barneys. 
And in a bed y-brought ful f aire and blyve, 

1817. Which a, what a, how great a. 

1825. Al his cheere may mean " altogether his, in countenance,** as she 

was really so in his heart; or " all his countenance was as Joyful 
as it was in his heart." 

1826. i^r. EUes. reads /urz/e. 
Then was he cut out of his armor. 



^4 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

For he was 2/it in memorye and on lyve, ' 1840 

And alway crying after Emelye. 
Duk Theseus, with al his compainye, 

Is comen horn to Athenes his cite. 

With alle blysse and gret solempnite. 

Al be it that this aventure was falle, 1845 

He nolde nought disconforten hem alle. 

Men seyde eek, that Arcita schal nought dye. 

He schal ben heled of his maladye. 

And of another thing they were as fayn, 

That of hem alle was ther noon y-slayn, - 1850 

Al were they sore hurt, and namely oon, 

That with a spere was thirled his brest boon. 

To othre woundes, and to broken armes. 

Some hadde salves, and some hadde charmes, 

Fermacyes of herbes, and eek save 1855 

They dronken, for they wolde here lymes have. 

For which this noble duk, as he wel can, 

Conforteth and honoureth every man, 

And made revel al the longe night, 

Unto the straunge lordes, as was right. I860 

Ne ther was holden no disconfytynge. 

But as a justes or a tourney inge; 

For sothly ther was no disconfiture. 

For fallynge nis not but an aventure; 

Ne to be lad with fors unto the stake 1865 

Unyolden, and with twenty knightes take, 

O persone allone, withouten moo, 

And haried forth by arme, foot, and too, 



1840. In memorye, conscious. 

1853. As a remedy /or (to) other wounds, &c. 

1854, 1855. Charmes . . . save. It may be observed that the salves, 

charms, and pharmacies of herbs were the principal remedies of 
the physician in the age of Chaucer. Save (salvia, the herb sage) 
was considered one of the most universally efficient mediaeval 
remedies (Wright) ; whence the proverb of the school of Salerno. 
" Cur moriatur homo, dum salvia crescit in horto?" 

1864. Nis not but = is only. 

1867. O persone, one person. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 95 

And eek his steede dryven forth with staves. 
With footmen, bothe ^emen and eek knaves, 1870 

It nas aretted him no vyleinye, 
. Ther may no man clepe it no cowardye. 

For which anon Duk Theseus leet crie. 
To stynten alle rancour and envye. 
The gree as wel of o syde as of other, 1875 

And either side ylik as otheres brother; 
And ^af hem ^iftes after here degre. 
And fully heeld a f este dayes thre ; 
And conveyede the kynges worthily 
Out of his toun a journee largely. 1880 

And hom wente every man the righte way, 
Ther was no more, but '' Farwel, have good day !" 
Of this bataylle I wol no more endite. 
But speke of Palamon and of Arcyte. 

Swelleth the brest of Arcyte, and the sore 1885 

Encresceth at his herte more and more. 
The clothred blood, for eny leche-craft, 
Corrumpeth, and is in his bouk i-laft, 
That nother veyne blood, ne ventusynge, 
Ne drynke of herbes may ben his helpynge. 1890 

The vertu expulsif , or animal, 
Fro thilke vertu cleped natural, 
Ne may the venym voyde, ne expelle. 
The pypes of his longes gonne to sw^elle, 
And every lacerte in his brest adoun 1895 

Is schent with venym and corrupcioun. 
Him gayneth nother, for to gete his lyf, 
Vomyt upward, ne dounward laxatif ; 
Al is to-brosten thilke regioun, 

Nat\ire hath now no dominacioun. 1900 

And certeynly ther nature wil not wirche, 
Farwel phisik; go ber the man to chirche. 
This al and som, that Arcyta moot dye, 

1878. Dayes thre. Wright says the period of three days was the usual 
duration of a feast among our early forefathers. . 

2903, This al and §om^ one an^ all said this — that Arcite must die. 



96 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

For wMch he sendeth after Emelye, 

And Palamon, that was his cosyn deere. 1905 

Than seyde ne thus, as ^e schul after heere. 

" Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte 
Declare o poynt of alle my sorwes smerte 
To ^ou, my lady, that I love most; 
But I byquethe the service of my gost 1910 

To ^oa aboven every creature, 
Syn that my lyf ne may no lenger dure. 
Alias, the woo ! alias, the peynes stronge. 
That I for ^ou have suffred, and so longe^ ! 
Alias, -the deth ! alias, myn Emelye ! 1915 

Alias, departyng of our compainye ! 
Alias, myn hertes queen ! alias, my wyf ! 
Myn hertes lady, endere of my lyf ! 
What is this world ? what asken men to have ? 
Now with his love, now in his colde grave 1920 

Allone withouten eny compainye. 
Farwel, my swete foo ! myn Emelye ! 
And softe tak me in ^oure armes tweye, 
For love of God, and herkneth what I seye. 

I have heer with my cosyn Palamon 1925 

Had stryf and rancour many a day a-gon. 
For love of ^ow, and for my jelousie. 
And Jupiter so wis my sowle gje, 
To speken of a servaunt proprely, 
With alle circumstaunces trewely, 1930 

That is to seyn, trouthe, honour, and knighthede, 
Wysdom, humblesse, estaat, and hey kynrede, 
Fredam, and al that longeth to that art. 
So Jupiter have of my soule part. 

As in this world right now ne knowe I non ^ 1935 

So wortdy to be loved as Palamon, 
That serveth ^ou, and wol don al his lyf. 
And if that evere ye schul ben a wyf, 
Forget not Palamon, the gentil man." 

Some editors explain the phrase as this (is) the al and «ow, i.e. 
this is the short and long of it. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 91 

And witli that word liis speche faille gan, 1940 

For fro his f eete up to his brest was come 
The cold of deth, that hadde him overcome. 
, And yet, moreover, for in his armes two 
The vital strengthe is lost, and al ago. 
Only the intellect, withouten more, 1945 

That dwellede in his herte sik and sore, 
Gan fayllen, when the herte felte deth, 
Dusken his eyghen two, and faylleth breth. 
But on his lady 2/it caste he his eye; 
His laste word was, *' Mercy, Emelye V 1950 

- His spiryt chaungede hous, and wente ther. 
As I came nevere, I can nat tellen wher. 
Therfore I stynte, I nam no dyvynistre; 
Of soules fynde I not in this registre, 
Ne me ne list thilke opynyons to telle 1955 

Of hem, though that thei writen wher they dwelle. 
Arcyte is cold, ther Mars his soule gye; 
Now wol I speke forth of Emelye. 

Shrighte Emelye, and howleth Palamon, 
And Theseus his suster took anon 3960 

Swownyng, and bar hire fro the corps away. 
What helpeth it to taryen forth the day. 
To tellen how sche weep bothe eve and morwe ? 
For in swich caas wommen can han such sorwe, 
Whan that here housbonds ben from hem ago, 1965 
That for the more part they sorwen so, 
Or elles fallen in such maladye. 
That atte laste certeynly they dye. 

Infynyte been the sorwes and the teeres 
Of olde folk, and folk of tendre yeeres, 1970 

In al the toun, for deth of this Theban, 
For him ther weepeth bothe child and man; 
So gret a wepyng was ther noon certayn, 

1942. Overcome. Tyrwhitt reads overnome, overtaken, the p.p. of over 

nimen. 
1957. Ther Mars, &c., O that Mars would, &c.; may Mars, <&c. 
1964. Such sorwe, so great sorrow. 



98 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

Wlian Ector was i-brought, al fressh i-slayn, 

To Troye; alias ! the pite tliat was tlier, 1975 

Craccli}Tig of cheekes, rending eek of heer. 

'' Why woldestow be deed," thise wommen crye, 

" And haddest gold ynowgh, and Emelye ?" 

No man ne mighte gladen Theseus, 

Savyng his olde fader Egeus, 1980 

That knew this worldes transmutacioun. 

As he hadde seen it tcrnen up and doun, 

Joye after woo, and woo after gladnesse: 

And schewede hem ensamples and liknesse. 

'' Right as ther deyde nevere man/' quod he, 1985 
" That he ne l}wede in erthe in som degree, 
Right so ther lyvede nevere man," he seyde, 
''In all this world, that some t^'me he ne deyde. 
This world nys but a thurghfare f ul of woo. 
And we ben pilgryms, passyng to and fro; 1990 

Deth is an ende of every worldly sore. " 
And over al this ^it seide he mochel more 
To this effect, ful wysly to enhorte 
The peple, that they schulde him reconforte. 

Duk Theseus, with al his busy cure, 1995 

Cast now wher that the sepulture. 
Of good Arcyte may best y-maked be. 
And eek most honurable in his degre. 
And atte laste he took conclusioun, 
That ther as first Arcite and Palamon ^ 2000 

Hadden for love the bataille hem bytwene. 
That in that selve grove, swoote and greene, 
Ther as he hadde his amorouse desires, 
His compleynte, and for love his hoote fyres. 
He wolde make a fyr, in which thoffice 2005 

Of funeral he mighte al accomplice; 
And leet comaunde anon to hakke and hewe 
The okes olde, and leye hem on a rewe 
In culpons wel arrayed for to brenne, 
His officers with swifte feet they renne, 2010 

And ryde anon at his comaundement. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 99 

And after this, Theseus hath i-sent 
After a beer, and it al overspradde 
With cloth of gold, the richeste that he hadde. 
And of the same suyte he cladde Arcyte; 2015 

Upon his hondes hadde he gloves white; 
Eek on his heed a coroune of laurer grene. 
And in his hond a swerd f ul bright and kene. 
He leyde him bare the visage on the beere, 
Therwith he weep that pite was to heere. 2020 

And for the peple schulde seen him alle. 
Whan it was day he broughte him to the halle. 
That roreth of the crying and of the soun. 
Tho cam this woful Theban Palamoun, 
With flotery herd, and ruggy asshy heeres, 2025 

In clothes blake, y-dropped al with teeres; 
And, passyng othere of wepyng, Emelye, 
The rewfulleste of al the compainye. 
In as moche as the service schulde be 
The more noble and riche in his degre, ^ 2030 

Duk Theseus leet forth thre steedes brynge. 
That trapped were in steel al gliterynge. 
And covered with the armes of daun Arcyte. 
Upon thise steedes, that weren grete and white, 
Ther seeten folk, of which oon bar his scheeld, 2035 
Another his spere up in his hondes heeld; 
The thridde bar with him his bowe Turkeys, 
Of brend gold was the caas and eek the herneys; 
And riden forth a paas with sorwef ul cheere 
Toward the grove, as ^e schul after heere. 2040 

The nobleste of the Grekes that ther were 
Upon here schuldres carieden the beere. 
With slake paas, and eyghen reede and wete, 
Thurghout the cite, by the maister streete. 
That sprad was al with blak, and wonder hye 2045 
Right of the same is al the strete i-wrye. 
Upon the right hond wente old Egeus, 

2027. And surpassing others in weeping came Emily. 



100 THE KXIGHTES TALE. 

And on that other syde duk Theseus, 

"With vessels in here hand of gold wel f^Ti, 

Al ful of honv, mvlk, and blood, and wyn; 2050 

Eek Palamon, with ful gret compainve; 

And after that com woful Emelye, 

With fyr in hond, as was that time the gyse, 

To do thoffice of funeral servise. 

KeygJi labour, and ful gret apparaill^mge 2055 

Was at the service and the fyr mak^Tige, 
That with his grene top the hevene raughte, 
And twenty fadme of brede tharmes straughte; 
This is to seyn, the boowes were so brode. 
Of stree first ther was leyd ful many a loode. 2060 

But how the fyr was maked up on highte, 
Ajid eek the names how the trees highte, 
As ook, fyiTC, birch, asp, alder, holm, popler, 
Wilwe, elm, plane, assch, box, chesteyn, Ij^nde, laurer, 
3Iaple, thorn, beech, hasel, ew, whyi^pyltre, 2065 

How they weren feld, schal nou^At be told for me; 
Xe how the goddes ronnen up and doiui, 
Disheryt of here habitacioun, 
In which they woneden in reste and pees, • 
Xymphes, Faunes, and Amadrydes; 2070 

Xe how the beestes and the briddes alle 
Fledden for feere. whan the woode was falle; 
Xe how the ground agast was of the lighte, 
That was nought wont to seen the sonne brighte; 
Xe how the fyi' was couched first with stree, 2075 

And thanne with drye st3'kkes cloven a three, 
And thanne with grene woode and spicerie. 
And thanne ^ith cloth of gold and ^vith perrye, 
And gerlandes hangyng with ful many a flour. 
The m^Tre, thencens with al so greet odour; 2080 

Xe how Arcj-te Irj among al this, 
Xe what richesse aboute his body is; 
Xe how that Emelye, as was the gyse, 

8070. Amadrydes is a cormption of Hamadryades. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 101 

Putte in the fyr of funeral servise; 

Ne how she swownede when men made the fyr, 2085 

Ne what sche spak, ne what was hire desir; 

Ne what jewels men in the fyr tho caste, 

Whan that the fyr was gret and brente faste; 

Ne how summe caste here scheeld, and summe here 

spere. 
And of here vestimentz, whiche that they were, 2090 
And cuppes ful of wyn, and mylk, and blood, 
Into the fyr, that brente as it were wood; 
Ne how the Grekes with an huge route 
Thre tymes ryden al the fyr aboute 
Upon the lefte hond, with an heih schoutyng, 2095 
And thries with here speres clateryng; 
And thries how the laydes gonne crye; 
Ne how that lad was horn- ward Emelye; 
Ne how Arcyte is brent to aschen colde; 
Ne how that liche-wake was y-holde 2100 

Al thilke night, ne how the Grekes pleye 
The wake-pleyes, ne kepe I nat to seye; 
Who wrastleth best naked, with oylle enoynt, 
Ne who that bar him best in no disjoynt. 
I wol not tellen eek how that they goon 2105 

Horn til Athenes whan the pley is doon. 
But schortly to the poynt than wol I wende. 
And maken of my longe tale an ende. 
. By processe and by lengthe of certyn yeres 
Al stynted is the moornyng and the teeres 2110 

Of Grekes, by oon general assent. 
Than semede me ther was a parlement 
At Athens, upon certejm poyntz and cas; 
Among the whiche poyntes yspoken was 
To han with certyn contrees alliaunce, 2115 

And han fully of Thebans obeissaunce. 
For which this noble Theseus anon 
Let senden after gentil Palamon, 

2085. Men made the fyr (Harl.);. maad was the fire (Corp. Pet.). 
2104. In no disjoynt^ with no disadvantage, 



102 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

XJnwist of him what was the cause and why; 

But in his blake clothes sorwefully 2120 

He cam at his comaundement in hye. 

Tho sente Theseus for Emelye. 

Whan they were set, and hust was al the place, 

And Theseus abyden hadde a space 

Or eny word cam fro his wyse brest, 2125 

His eyen sette he ther as was his lest, 

And with a sad visage he sykede stille, 

And after that right thus he seide his wille. 

*'The firste moevere of the cause above, 
Whan he first made the fayre cheyne of love, 2130 

Gret was theffect, and heigh was his entente; 
Wei wiste he why, and what therof he mente; 
For with that faire cheyne of love he bond 
The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond 
In certeyn boundes, that they may not flee; 2135 

That same pyrnce and moevere eek," quod he, 
' ' Hath stabled, in this wrecched w orld adoun, 
Certeyne dayes and duracioun 
To alle that ben engendred in this place. 
Over the whiche day they may nat pace, 2140 

Al mowe they ^it tho dayes wel abregge; 
Ther needeth non auctorite tallegge; 
For it is preved by experience. 
But that me lust declare my sentence. 
Than may men by this ordre wel discerne, 2145 

That thilke moevere stable is and eterne. ' 
Wel may men knowe, but it be a fool, 
That every part deryveth from his hool. 
For nature hath nat take his bygj^nnyng 
Of no partye ne cantel of a thing, 2150 

But of a thing that parfyt is and stable, 
Descendyng so, til it be corumpable. 
And therfore of his wyse purveiaunce 
He hath so wel biset his ordinaunce, 

2133-2135. That faire cheyne of love. This sentiment is taken from 
Boethius, lib. ii. met. 8. 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 103 

That spices of thinges and progressiouns 2155 

Schullen endure by successiouns. 

And nat eterne be withoute lye: 

This maistow understande and sen at eye. 

" Lo the ook, that hath so long a norisschynge 
Fro tyme that it gynneth first to springe, 2160 

And hath so long a lyf, as we may see, 
Yet atte laste wasted is the tree. 

'' Considereth €ek, how that the harde stoon 
Under oure feet, on which we trede and goon, 
rit wasteth it, as it lith by the weye. 2165 

The brode ryver somtyme wexeth dreye. 
The grete townes seen we wane and wende. 
Then may ^e see that al this thing hath ende. 

'* Of man and womman sen we wel also, 
That nedeth in oon of thise termes two, 2170 

This is to seyn, in youthe or elles age, 
He moot ben deed, the kyng as schal a page; 
Som in his bed, som in the deepe see, 
Some in the large feeld, as men may se. 
Ther helpeth naught, al goth that ilke weye. 2175 

Thanne may I seyn that al this thing moot deye. 
What maketh this but Jupiter the kyng ? 
The which is prynce and cause of alle thing, 
Convertyng al unto his propre welle, 
From which it is deryved, soth to telle. 2180 

And here agayns no creature on lyve 
Of no degre avaylleth for to stryve. 

'' Than is it wisdom, as it thinketh me. 
To maken vertu of necessite, 

And take it wel, that we may nat eschue, 2185 

And namelyche that to us alle is due. 

2158. Sen at eye, see at a glance. 

2184. So in Troilus, iv. 1558: "Thus maketh vertu of necessite;" and 
in Squire's Tale, pt. ii. 1. 247: "That I made vertu of necessite." 
Cp. Horace, Carm. i. 24: 

" Durum 1 sed lenius fit patientia 
Quidquid corrigere est nefas." 



104 THE KNIGHTES TALE. 

And who so gruccheth aught, he doth folye, 

And rebel is to him that al may gye. 

And certeynly a man hath most honour 

To deyen in his excellence and flour, 2190 

Whan he is siker of his goode name. 

Than hath he doon his freend, ne him, no schame, 

And gladder oughte his freend ben of his deth. 

Whan with honour up-^olden is his breth, 

Thanne whan his name appalled is for age; 2195 

For al forgeten is his vasselage. 

Thanne is it best, as for a worthi fame,. 

To dyen whan a man is best of name. 

The contrarye of al this is wilf ulnesse. 

Why grucchen we ? why have we hevynesse, 2200 

That good Arcyte, of chyvalrye the flour. 

Departed is, with duete and honour 

Out of this f oule prisoun of this lyf ? 

Why grucchen heer his cosyn and his wyf 

Of his welfare that lovede hem so wel ? 2205 

Can he hem thank ? nay, God woot, never a del, 

That bothe his soule and eek hemself offende. 

And i/et they mowe here lustes nat amende. 

''What may I conclude of this longe serye, 
But after wo I rede us to be merye, 2210 

And thanke Jupiter of al his grace ? 
And or that we departe fro this place, 
I rede that we make, of sorwes two, 
O parfyt joye lastyng evere mo: 

And loketh now wher most sorwe is her-inne, 2215 

Ther wol we first amenden and bygynne. 

" Suster," quod he, '' this is my fulle assent, 
With al thavys heer of my parlement, 
That gentil Palamon, ^oure owne knight. 
That serveth ^ow with herte, wille, and might, 2220 
And evere hath doon, syn that ye fyrst him knewe, 

2210. Cp. " The time renneth toward right fast, 

Joy Cometh after whan the sorrow is past." 

(Hawes' Pastime of Pleasure, ed. Wright, p. 148.) 



THE KOTGHTES TALE. l05 

That ye schul of 2^oure grace upon him rewe, 

And take him for ^oure hoiisbond and for lord: 

Leen me ^oure hand, for this is oure acord. 

Let. see now of i/oure wommanly pite. 2225 

He is a kynges brother sone, pardee; 

And though he were a poure bacheler, 

Syn he hath served ^ou so many a yeer, 

And had for yoM so gret adversite, 

It moste be considered, leeveth me. 2230 

For gen til mercy aughte to passe right." 

Than seyde he thus to Palamoh the knight; 

**I trowe ther needeth litel sermonyng 

To maken i/ou assente to this thing. 

Com neer, and tak i/oure lady by the hond." 2235 

Bitwixen hem was i-maad anon the bond, 

That highte matrimoyne or mariage. 

By al the counseil and the baronage. 

And thus with alle blysse and melodye 

Hath Palamon i-wedded Emelye. 2240 

And God, that al this wyde world hath wrought, 

Sende him his love, that hath it deere a-bought. 

For now is Palamon in alle wele, 

Lyvynge in blisse, in richesse, and in hele. 

And Emelye him loveth so tendrely, 2245 

And he hire serveth al so gentilly. 

That nevere was ther no word hem bitweene 

Of jelousye, or any other teene. 

Thus endeth Palamon and Emelye; 

And God save al this fayre compainye ! 2250 

2231. Aughte to passe right, should surpass mere equity or justice. 



GLOSSARY. 



Numbers refer to lines. The following are the chief contractions used: 



A.S. 


= Anglo-Saxon. 


Lat. = Latin. 


Dan. 


= Danish. 


O.E. = Old English. 


Du. 


= Dutch. 


O.Fr. = Old French. 


Fr. 


= French. 


O.H.Ger. = Old High German. 


Oer. 


= German. 


Prov. Engl. = Provincial English. 


Gr. 


= Greek. 


Sp. = Spanish. 


It. 


= Itahan. 


Sw. = Swedish. 



A, one, single. A.S. an, Ger. em, 
one; Eng. indef. article an or a. 

A, in, on; cp. a-night, 184, a day, 
daily, 1765; a-three, in three, 2076. 
Cp. Mod. Eng. a-foot, afraid, a- 
hunting, a-building, &c. A.S. 
and O.S. an, in, on. It is still 
used in the South of England. 

Abide, abiden, abyden, 
abide, dela}^ wait for, await, 
69, 2124. A.S. abidan, to wait, 
remain. 

Able, fit, capable, adapted: Lat. 
habilis (Lat. habeo, to have), 
convenient, fit : O.Fr. habile, 
able, expert, fit. 

Abood, delay. 107. See Abide. 

Aboughte, atoned for, suffered 
for, 1445, 2240. A.S. abicgan, to 
redeem, pay the purchase- 
money, to pay the penalty 
(from bycgan, to buy). Cp. the 
modern expression "to buy it 
dear." Shakespeare and Milton 



have, from similarity of sound, 
given the sense of abye to the 
verb abide, as in the following 
examples: 

''If it be found so. some will 
dear abide it. (Julius Caesar.) 

" Disparage not the faith thou 
dost not know. 

" Lest to thy peril thou abidest, 
dear." (Mids. Night's Dream.) 

" How dearly I abide that boast 
in vain." (Paradise Lost.) 

Aboven, above. 

Abrayde, abreyde, started 
(suddenly), awoke. A.S. broeg- 
dan, to move, turn, weave. 
Shakespeare uses braid = of de- 
ceitful manner. 

Abregge, to shorten, abridge. 
2141. Fr. a-breger; Lat. abbre- 
viare. 

Accoraplice, to accomplish, 
2006. 

Accordant, acordaunt, ac- 
cording to, agreeing, suitable. 



108 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Accorde, acorde, agreement, 

decision. 
Accorde, acorde, to agree, 

suit, decide. Fr. accorder, to 

agree (from Lat. cor, the heart). 
Ach.ate, purchase. O.Fr. achep- 

ter, to buy; Fr. acheter. 
Achatour, purchaser, caterer. 
Acorded, agreed, 356. 
Acqueyntaunce, aqueynt- 

aunce, acquaintance. 
Ademauntz, adamant, 1132. Gr. 

d-8cLfxa<; (a privative, Safxddi, tO 

tame, subdue), the hardest met- 
al, probably steel (also the dia- 
mond); whence Eng. adaman- 
tine. 

Adoun, ado^wTi, down, down- 
wards below, 245. 

Adrad, in great dread, afraid. 
Cp. O.E. of-drad, much afraid; 
where the prefix of is intensi- 
tive, like/07'-, Lat. per-. 

Aferd, afered, afferd, in great 
fear, afraid, 660. 

Affeccioun, affection, hope, 300. 

Affermed, confirmed, 1491. 

Affrays d, terrified, scared. Fr. 
effrayer, scare, appal; effroi, 
terror: whence /?*a?/ and affray. 

Affyle, to file, to polish. Fr. 
affller; Lat. filiim, a thread. 

Afright, in fright, afraid. Ger. 
Furcht, fear. 

Again, agayn, ageyn, again, 
against, towards, 929. 

Agast, terrified, aghast, 1483. 

Agaste, to be terrified, 1566. 

Ago, agon, agoo, agoon, gone, 
past, 418, 924; the past participle 
of O.E. verb agon, to go, pass 
away. We also meet with ygo 
in the samie sense, and some ety- 
mologists have erroneously sup- 
posed that the prefix a- is a cor- 
ruption of y-. 

Agrief, in grief. " To take agrief' 



= to take it amiss, feel ag- 
grieved, be displeased. 

Al, all, whole (cp. al a = a. whole, 
58), quite wholly (cp. al redy, al 
armed. &c.). 

Alauntz (or alanns), a species of 
dog, 1290. They were used for 
hunting the boar. 

Al be, although. 

Alder, alther, aller, of all (gen. 
pi. of al). 

Ale-stake, a stake set up before 
an ale-house by way of sign. 

Algate, always. 

Alights (p.p. alight), alighted, 
125. Cp. the phrase " to light 
upon." 

Alls, pi. of al (all). 

Allsr. See Alder. 

Alliaunce, alliance, 2115. Fr. 
allier, to ally. 

Als, also, as. These forms show 
that as is a contraction from 
also. 

Alther. See Alder. 

Amblers, a nag. 

Amongss, amongst. 

Amorws, on the morrow. 

Amounts, to amount, signify, de- 
note, 1504. 

Amyddss, amidst, in the mid- 
dle, 1151. 

And = an, if, 356. 

Anhange, anhonge, to hang up. 

Anlas (or anslacs), a kind of 
knife or dagger, usually worn at 
the girdle. 

Anon, anoon, in one (instant), 
anon. 

Anoynt, snoynt, anointed. 

Apayd, apaysd, pleased, satis- 
fied, 1010. Fr. payer, to satisfy, 
pay (Lat. pacare) ; whence O.E. 
pay, satisfaction, gratification, 
pleasure; Eng. pay. 

Ape, metaphorically, a fool. 

Apiked, trimmed. See Pilce. 



GLOSSARY. 



100 



Apotecarie, apothecary. 

Appalled, become weak, feeble, 
dead, 2195. 

Apparaillyng, preparation, 2055. 
Fr. appareiller, to fit, suit; pa- 
reil, like; Lat. par, equal, like. 
The original meaning of ajppa- 
reiller is to join like to like. 

Appetyt, desire, appetite, 822. 

Arest, a support for the spear 
when couched for the attack, 
1744. It is sometimes written^ re.s^. 

Areste, to stop (a horse). 

Aretted, ascribed, imputed, 
deemed, 1871. The A.S. aretan 
signifies to correct, set right. 

Arive, arrival, or perhaps disem- 
barkation (of troops). From 

• Lat. ad ripare, to come to shore. 

Arm-gret, as thick as a man's 
arm, 1287. 

Armypotent, mighty in arms, 
1124. 

Array, state, situation, dress, 
equipage, 76. 

Arraye, to set in order, dress, 
adorn, equip, 1188. It. arre- 
dare, to prepare, get ready. 

Arreest, seizure, custody, 452. 

Arrerage, arrears. 

Arresten, to stop, seize. 

Arsmetrike, arithmetic, 1040. 

Ar'we, arrow. 

As, as if. 

Aschen, asschen, ashes, 444. 

Aseged, besieged, 23. Fr. siege; 
Lat. ohsidium, the sitting down 
before a town in a hostile way. 

Aslake, to moderate, appease, 
902. A.S. slacian, relax, slack; 
sleac, slack ; also slack-lime, slag 
of a furnace. 

As-nouthe, as no"W, at present, 
1406. See Nouthe. 

Asonder, asunder. 

Assaut, assault, 131. Fr. assa- 
illir, to assail; saillir, to leap, 



sally; Lat. Balire, to leap, 
spring. 

Assayed, tried, 953. Fr. essayer, 
to try, essay. 

Assise, assize. Fr. assire. to set; 
(Lat. assidere) ; assis, set, seat- 
ed; assise, a settled tax; cour 
d' assize. a. court held on a set day 

Assoillyng, absolution, acquit- 
tal. O.Fr. assoiller, Lat. ahsol- 
vere, to loose from. 

Assuren, to make sure, confirm, 
1066. 

Astat, astaat, estate, rank. See 
Est at. 

Asterte, to escape, 737: p. p. 
734. See Sterte. 

Astoned, astonished, 1504. Lat. 
attonare, to thunder at, stun. 

Astored, stored. 

Asure, azure. 

Athamaunte, adamant, 447. 

Atrede, to surpass in council, 
outwit, 1591. a^ = A.S. cet, of, 
from, out. 

At-renne, outrun, 1391. See 
Renne. 

Atte, at the. 

Attempre, adj. temperate, mod- 
erate, 

Atteyne, to attain, 385. Lat. 
tangere, to touch, attingere, to 
reach to. 

Auctorite, authority; a text of 
Scripture, or some respectable 
writer, 2142. 

Auctours, authors, writers of 
credit. 

Auter, altar, 1047. 

Avaunce, to be of advantage, be 
profitable. 

Avaunt, boast, vaAint. 

Avauntage, advantage, 435. 

Avauntour, boaster. 

Aventure, chance, luck, misfor- 
tune. Lat. advenire, to happen ; 
whence, Eng. peradventure. 



110 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Avis, avys, advice, considera- 
tion, opinion, 1010. 

Avisioun, avysoun, vision. 

Avow, vow, promise, 1379. 

Avoy, fiel 

Awayt, watch. This is connect- 
ed with wake. Eng. watch^ 
waits, to await. 

Aswe, fear, dread. 

Axe, to ask, 489. 

Axyng, asking, demand, 968. 

Ay, ever, aye. 

Ayein, ayeins, ayens, again, 
back, against, towards, 651. 

Ay el, a grandfather, 1619. Fr. 
a'ieul. 

Baar, bar, bore, carried. See 
Bere. 

Bacheler, bachiller, an unmar- 
ried man, bachelor, a knight. 

Bacoun, bacon. 

Bailliff, baihfe. 

Bak, back. 

Bake = haken, baked. 

Balled, bald, 1660. The original 
meaning seems to have been (1) 
shining, (2) white (as in hald- 
faced stag). 

Bane, destruction, death, 239, 823. 

Baner, a banner, 120, 1552. 

Bar, bore, conducted. 

Barbour, a barber. Lat, barba, 
the beard. 

Bare, open, plain, 2019. 

Bareyn, bareyne, barren, de- 
void of, 386, 1119. 

Baronage, an assembly of bar- 
ons, 2238, The root perhaps is 
identical with the Lat. vir. 
(Wedgwood.) 

Barre, bar or bolt of a door, 217. 
Eng. spa7\ sibilated form of the 
root bar or par, which may be 
referred to O.N. barr, a tree. 

Barres, ornaments of a girdle. 

Batail, bataile, bataille, bat- 
ayl, bataylle, battle, 130. Fr. 



bataille, a battle. With the root 
bat are connected battery, bat- 
ter, 

Bataylld, embattled. Fr. batille, 
bastille, built as a bastile or 
fortress, furnished with turrets. 

Bawdrick, baudrick, or baldrick, 
belt, or girdle, worn transverse- 
ly. 

Be, (1) to be, 1377; (2) been. 

Beds, a bead (pi. bedes). A.S. 
bead, gebed, a prayer. ''Beads 
were strung on a string, and or- 
iginally used for the purpose of 
helping the memory in reciting 
a certain tale of prayers or dox- 
ologies. To bid one's bedes or 
beads was to say one's prayers." 

Beem, bemys, beam, rafter (pi. 
beemes). A.S. beam, a tree, 
stick, beam ; Ger. Baum. 

Beemes, trumpets, horns. 

Been, (1) to be; (2) are; (3) been. 

Beer, beere, a bier, 2013. 

Beer, did bear. 

Beest, best, a beast, 451. 

Beete, to kindle, light, 1395. The 
literal meaning is to mend, re- 
pair. 

Bagger, beggere, a beggar. It 
signifies literally a bag-bearer. 
It must be borne in mind that 
the bag was a universal charac- 
teristic of the beg'gar. 

Beggestere, a beggar, properly 
a female beggar. 

Ben, (1) to be; (2) are; (3) been. 

Benigne, kind. 

Bent, declivity of a hill, a plain, 
open field, 1123. 

Berd, berde, beard, 1272. 

Bere, to bear, to carry, to conduct 
one's self, behave. Imper. ber, 
1902. 

Bere, a bear, 782. 

Bere, to pierce, strike, 1398. 

Berkyng, barking. With the 



GLOSSARY. 



Ill 



root brak are connected Eng. 

• bark, brag, and bray. 

Bersten, to burst, 1122. 

Berstles, bristles. 

Berye, a berry. 

Beseken, to beseech, 60. 

Best, baste, a beast, 1118. 

Besy, busy, industrious, anxious. 

Bet, better. A.S. bet; O.H. Ger. 
baz. See Beete. 

Bete, (1) to beat; (2) beaten, or, 
namented. See Ybete. 

Beth, (3d pers. sing, of Ben), is; 
(imp. pi), be. 

Betwix, betwixe, betwixt. The 
second eleme nt -tweox is con- 
nected with two, and occurs in 
be-tween. 

Bewreye, to betray, 1371. See 
Bywreye, 

Beyying, buying, yy = gg. Cp. 
O.E. begge, to bu3^ 

Bibled, covered over with blood, 
1114. 

Bifalle, p.p. befallen; to befall, 
947. 

BiMglit, promised. 

Biholde, to behold, 1435. 

Biknew, acknowledged, con- 
fessed. 

Biloved, beloved. 

Bisette, to employ, use, 2154. 

Biside, bisides, beside, near, be- 
sides. 

Bit\\reene, byt^weene, between, 
2246. See Betwix. 

Bitwix, bitwixe, bytwixen, 
betwixt, between, 22. 

Blak, black, 41, 1659. With this 
root are connected bleak, bleach. 

Blede, to bleed, 943. 

Bleynte, blenched, started back, 
220. 

Blis, blisse, bliss, 372. 

Blisful, blessed, blissful. 

Blive, blyve, quickly, forth- 
with, 1839. 



Bocher, a butcher, 1167. Fr. 
boucher, from boc, a goat. 

Bok (pi. bokes), a book. 

Bokeler, buckler. Fr. boucUer, 
a shield with a central boss, 
from boucle, protuberance. 

Bokelyng, buckling, 1645. 

Boket, a bucket, 675. 

Bole, bull; pi. boles, 1281. 

Bond, bound, = O.E. band (pret. 
of binden), 2133. 

Boon, boone, prayer, petition, 
boon. 

Boon, bone (pi. boones), 319. 

Boor, boar, 800. 

Boot, boote, remedy. See 
Beete. 

Boo^wes, boughs, 2059. 

Boras, borax. 

Bord, table. 

Bord, joust, tournament. 

Bore, p.p. born, 684. 

Born, p.p. conducted. 

Borwe, pledge, security, 764. Cp^ 
Ger. Bilrge, from beorgan, to 
protect (whence borough), a 
surety ; bilrgen, to become a 
surety, to give bail for another. 
In the phrase "a snug berth,''' a 
berth on board ship, we have a 
derivative of the same root. 

Botes, bootes, boots. " The 
boot appears to have originally 
been like the Irish brogue and 
Indian mocassin, a sort of bag 
of skin or leather, enveloping the 
foot and laced on the instep." 
(Wedgwood ) 

Bothe, both, 983. 

Botiler, butler. It is generally 
connected with bouteille, a bot- 
tle; but it is more probablj^ con- 
nected Math buttery and butt. 

Botme, bottom. 

Bouk, body, 1888. Icel, bulka, to 
swell; whence Eng. bulk, Prov. 
Eng. bulch. Cotgrave has 



112 



THE KXIGHTES TALE. 



''Bosse, knobby, bulked or 
bumped out." With this root 
are connected Eng. billow, 
bulge, bilge. 
Bour. A.S. bur, bower, inner 
chamber; Prov. Eng. boo7', a 
parlor. 

Bracer, armor for the arms. 

Brak, broke, 610. 

Bras, brass. 

Brast, burst. It is sometimes 
written barst. 

Braun, brawn, muscle (pi. 
braivnes), 1277. 

Braunche, a branch. 209. 

Brayde, started. See Abrayde. 

Bred, breed, bread. 

Breed, breede, breadth, 1112. 

Breeme, fiercely, furiously, 841. 

Breeth, breth, breath. In O.E. 
bi'ceth signifies vapor, smell, also 
fervor, rage. 

Breke, to break. 

Brem, a fresh- water fish, bream. 

Bremstoon, brimstone. O.E. 
brenstone = burning stone. 

Bren, bran. 

Brend, burnished, bright, 1304. 

Brende, burnt, 1567. See 
Br'enne. 

Brenne, to burn. 1473. A.S. bren- 
nan, bernan. We have the same 
root in 6?-im-stone. 

Brenningly, fiercely, ardently, 
706. 

Brennyng, brennynge, burn- 
ing, 138, 1142. 

Brent, burnt, 1159. 

Breres, briers, 674. 

Brest, bursteth, 1752. 

Brest, breste, breast. 

Brest-plat, breast-plate, 1262. 

Breste, to burst, 1752. See Brast. 

Bretful, brimful!, 1306. See 
Brede, breadth. 

Bretherhede, brotherhood, bro- 
thers of a religious order, 



Briddes, birds. A.S. brid, a 
(young) bird; brod, a brood 
A.S. bredan, to nourish, keep 
warm. We have the same root 
in brew and broth. Shakespeare 
uses bird in its original sense in 
the following passage: 

" Being fed by us. you used us so 
As that ungentle gull, the 

cuckoo's bii'd, 
Useth the sparrow." 

(I Hen. IV. V. i ) 

Broch, a brooch. , Cp Lat. broc- 
chus, a projecting tooth. 

Brode, broad, 2166. See Brood. 

Broke, broken, ^ee Brelce. 

Brood, broode, brode, broad. 
See Brede. 

Broode, broadlj-, plainly. 

Brond, firebrand, 1481. 

Brouke, to have the use of, en- 
joy, brook. 

Broun, brown. Ger. braun, Fr. 
brun. It is perhaps connected 
with brennan, to burn. 

Bro"wded, braided, woven, 191. 
For the etymology see Abrayde. 

Browdyng, embroidery, 1640. 

Bulde, built, 690. 

Bulte, to bolt (corn), sift meal. 

Burdon, burden (of a song), a 
musical accompaniment. Sp. 
bordon, the bass of a stringed 
instrument, or of art organ. 

Burgeys, citizen, burgess. 

Burned, burnished, 1125. Fr. 
brunir. 

Busynesse, bysynesse, labor, 
care, anxiety, 149. 

But-if, unless. 

By and by, separately, 153. 

Bycause, because. 

Byde, abide, remain, 718. 

Byfel, byfil, befell, 152. 

Byfore, byforen, byfom, be- 
fore, 518. 

By^aii, bigan, began, 690, 



GLOSSARY. 



113 



Bygonne, p.p. begun. 

"Bygynne, to begin. 

Byholde, to behold, 443. 

Byhote, promise, 996. See Bi- 
hight. 

Byhynde, behind, 192. 

Byjaped, deceived, befooled, 727. 
The root jap is connected with 
gab, jab, as in gabble, jabber. 

Byknowe, to acknowledge, 698. 

Byloved, beloved, 571. 

Bynethe, beneath. 

Bynne, bin, chest. It is some- 
times written bing, and seems 
to have signified originally a 
heap. 

Byquethe, to bequeath, 1910. 

By raft, bereft, 503. 

Byside, beside, near. 

Bysmotered, spotted, smutted. 

Byt, (3d pers. sing, of bidden), 
bids. 

Byth-ough-t, " am bethought," 
have thought of, have called to 
mind. 

Byt^wixe, betwixt, between. 

By^vreye, make known, bewray, 
1371. 

Caas, case, condition, hap. 

Caas, case, quiver, 1500. 

Cacche, cachche, to catch, (pret. 
caughte). Fr. chasser, to drive 
out, chase. 

Caitif, caytif, wretch, wretched, 
68, 694. (Lat. captivus), a cap- 
tive, a wTetch. 

Cam, came. 

Can, (1) know, knows, 922. 

Cantel, corner, cantle, 2150. 
O.Fr. chantel, chanteau, a cor- 
ner, a lump. Cp. Icel. kantr, 
side; Dan. leant, edge. 

Cappe, a cap, hood. 

Care, sorrow, grief. Careful, 
sorrowful, 463. A.S. cam, Goth. 
kara. 

Carf, c^irved (the pret, of kerve^ 



to cut, carve). A.S. ceorfan, O. 
Fris. kerva, to cut. 

Carl, a churl. A.S, ceorl, Icel. 
kai'L a man. Cp. Sc. carlin, a.n 
old woman; Eng. churl, churl- 
ish. 

Caroigne, carrion, 1155. Fr. 
charogne, It. carogna, from Lat. 
caro. 

Carol, a round dance, 1073. Ca- 
role, to dance. Fr. carole (from 
Lat. corolla, the diminutive of 
corona). Robert of Brunne calls 
the circuit of Druidical stones a 
karole. By some it is derived 
from the Lat. chorale. 

Carpe, to talk, discourse. Cp. 
Portug. carpire, to cry, weep. 

Carte, chariot, cart, 1164. O.N. 
karti. 

Cartere, charioteer, 1164. 

Cas, case, condition, hap, chance, 
216. See Caas. 

Cast, casteth, 1996. 

Cast, device, plot, 1610. It is con- 
nected with the vb. to cast. Cp. 
O.E. turn, a trick; Eng. "an ill- 
turn.'''' 

Caste, casten, to plan, devise, 
suppose, 1314. 

Catapus, catapuce, a species of 
spurge. 

Catel, wealth, goods, valuable 
propertj^ of any kind, chattels. 
O.Fr. chatel, catel, a piece of 
movable property, from Lat. 
capitals, whence captale, catal- 
lum, the principal sura in a loan 
(cp. Eng. capital). The Lat. 
captale was also applied to 
beasts of the farm, cattle. 

Caughte, took. Cp. Eng. "caught 
cold." See Cacche. 

Celle, a religious house, cell, 518. 

Centaure, century, the name 
of an herb. 

Qercles, circles, 1273. 



114 



THE KXIGHTES TALE. 



Cerial, belonging to the species 
of oak called Cerrus (Lat.), 1432. 

Certein, certeyn, certes, cer- 
tain, certainly, indeed, 17. 

Certeinly, certeynly, cer- 
tainly. 

Ceruce, white lead. 

Chaffer, merchandise. 

Champartye, a share of land ; a 
partnership in power, 1091. 

Champioun, a champion. 

Cliaiiterie, chaunterie, " An 
endowment for the payment of 
a priest to sing mass agreeably 
to the appointment of the foun- 
der." 

Chapeleyne, a chaplain. 

Chapmaii, a merchant. A.S. 
ceapman. See Chaffer. 

Char, car, chariot, 1280. Fr. char, 
Lat. carrus ; whence Fr. char- 
rier, to carry; charger, to load, 
charge. 

Charge, harm, 426, 1429, as in the 
phrase " it were no charge.'^ 

diaunce, chance, hap, 894. 

Chaunge, chaungen, to change. 

Chaunterie. See Chanterie. 

Cheef, chief, 199. Fr. chef, head; 
hat. caput. 

Cheer, clieere, chere, counte- 
nance, appearance, entertain- 
ment, cheer, 55. 

Cherl, churl, 1601. See Carl. 

Ches, imp. sing, choose, 737. 

Chese, to choose. 

Cliesteyn, a chestnut-tree, 2064. 

Cheventein, a chieftain, cap- 
.tain, 1697. See Cheef. 

Chevisance, chevysaunce, 
gain, profit; also an agreement 
for borrowing money. 

Cheyne, a chain, 2130. 

Chiden, to chide. 

Chikne, a chicken. The word 
cock, of which chicken is a di- 
minutive, is evidently formed in 



imitation of the sound made by 
young birds, Cp. chuck, chuckle, 
&c. 

Chirkyng, sb. shrieking, 1146. 
The O.E. chirke signifies "to 
make a noise like a bird," being 
a parallel form with chirp, and 
imitative of the sound made by 
birds. 

CMvachie, a military expedition. 

Chivalrie, chyvalrye, knight- 
hood, the manners, exercises, 
and valiant exploits of a knight, 
7, 20. Fr. chevalerie, from chev- 
alier, a knight, a horseman; 
cheval, a horse. 

Choys, choice. Fr. choisir, to 
choose. See Chese. 

Chronique, a chronicle. 

Cite, cites, a city. 

Citole, a kind of musical instru- 
ment with chords, 1101. 

elapsed, clasped. 

Clarioun, clarion, 1653. 

Clarre, wine mixed with honey 
and spices, and afterwards 
strained till it w^as clear, 613. It 
was also called Piment. 

Clatere, clatren, to clatter, 1501. 

Cleer, cleere, adj. clear, adv. 
clearly, 204. 

Clene, adj. clean, pure; adv. 
cleanly. 

Clennesse, cleanness, purity (of 
life). 

Clense, to cleanse. 

Clepen, to call, cry, say. 

Cleped, clept, called, 930. 

Clerk, a man of learning, a stu- 
dent at the University. 

Cloke, a cloak. 

Clomben, climbed, ascended. 

Cloos, close, shut. 

Clos, enclosure, yard. 

Clothred = clottred, clotted, 1887. 
We have the root-syllable in clot 
and clod. A.S. clot, clod. Eng. 



GLOSSARY. 



115 



cloud is evidently from the same 
• source -as clod. 

Cloystre, a cloister. 

Cofre, coffer, chest. 

Col, coal, 1834. A.S. col, Icel. kol, 
Ger. Kohle. 

Col-blak, coal-black, black as a 
coal, 1284. 

Col-fox, a crafty fox. 

Colere, choler. 

Colers of, having collars of, 1294, 

Comaunde, to command. 

ComaundenierLt, command- 
ment, command, 2011. 

Comen, p.p. come, 497. 

Connnunes, commoners, com- 
mon people, 1651. 

Compaas, circle, 1031. 

Compaignye, compainye, com- 
pany. 

Companable, companionable, 
sociable. 

Compassyng, craft, contrivance, 
1138. 

Comper, gossip, a near friend. 

Compleint, compleynt, com- 
plaint, 2004. 

Complet, complete. 

Compleyne, compleynen, to 
complain, 50. 

Composicioun, agreement. 

Comune, comniune, common. 
As in comune = as in common,- 
commonly, 393. 

Condicionel, conditional. 

Condicioun, condition. 

Confort, comfort. 

Conforte, to comfort, 858. 

Confus, confused, confounded, 
1372. 

Conne, know, be able. See Can, 
Con. 

Conscience, feeling, pity. 

Conseil, conseyl, counsel, 283, 
289. 

Conserve, to preserve, 1471. 

Contek, contest, 1145. 



Contenaunce, countenance, 1058. 

Contrarye, an opponent, adver- 
sary, foe, 1001. 

Contre, contrie, country, 355. 

Coote, cote, coat. 

Coote-armour. See Cote-ay-- 
mour. 

Cop, top of anything. Ger. Kopf, 
top, summit. 

Cope, a cloak, cape. 

Corage, heart, spirit, courage. 
Fr. courage, from Lat. cor, the 
heart. 

Coroune, corovsrne, acrown, 964. 

Corrumpe, to corrupt, 888. 

Corumpable, corruptible, 2152. 

Corven (p.p. of kerve), cut, 1838. 

Cosin, cosyn, a cousin, kinsman, 
273. 

Cote, cottage. Cp. sheep-cote, 
dove-cote. 

Cote, coat. O.Fr. cote. 

Cote-armour, cote-armure, 
coote-armour, a coat worn 
over armor, upon which the 
armorial ensigns of the wearer 
were usually embroidered, 158, 
128-2. 

Couched, cowched, (1) laid, (2) 
inlaid, trimmed, 1303, 2075. 

Counseil, counsel, advice, 283. 

Countrefete, counterfeit, imi- 
tate. 

Cours, course, 836. 

Courtepy, a sort of upper coat 
of a coarse material. 

Couthe, cowde, cowthe, (1) 
could, (2) knew. See Can. 

Covyne, covin, deceit. Literally 
a deceitful agreement between 
two parties to prejudice a third. 

Covs^ardie, cowardice, 1872; from 
Lat. Cauda, a tail. The real ori- 
gin of the word is a metaphor 
from the proverbial timidity of 
a hare, which was called couard 

■ from its short tail. (Wedgwood.) 



116 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Co"wde, could, knew how. 

Coy, quiet. 

Cracch.yng, scratching, 1976. 

Crafty, skilful, 1039. 

Crien, cryen, to cry. Crydestow 
= criedst thou, 225. 

Crisp, crispe, crisp, curled, 1307. 

Croppe, crop, top, 674. 

Croys, cross. 

CruUe, curly, curled. 

Cryke, creek. 

Culpons, culpouns, shreds, 
bundles, logs. 

Cuntre, country, 2009. 

Cuppe, a cup. 

Curat, a curate. 

Cure, care, anxiety, 1995. 

Curious, careful. 

Curs, curse. 

Curteis, curteys, courteous. 

Curteisie, courtesy. 

Cut, lot. 

Daliaunce, gossip. 

Damoysele, damsel. 

Dampned, condemned, doomed, 
317. 

Dan, daun. Lord, was a title 
commonly given to monks, 521. 

Dar, dare (1st pers. sing, present 
tense), 293. Darst (2d sing.), 
282. Dorste, durste (pret.). 

Darreyne, derreyne, to contest, 
fight out, decide by battle, dar- 
raign, 773. 

Daunce, daunse, vb. to dance, 
sb. a dance, 1343, 1344. 

Daunger, a dangerous situation, 
991. 

Daungerous, difficult, sparing. 

Daunsynge, dancing, 1343. 

Dawen, to dawn, 818. 

Da^venynge, dawn, dawning. 

Dayerie, dairy. See Deye. 

Dayseye, a daisy. Chaucer de- 
fines daisy as the eye of the day, 
i.e., day's eye. 

Pebonaire, kind, gracious, 1424. 



Dede (pret. of don), did, 891. 
Dede, a deed. • 

Dede, deed, deede, dead, 84, 

147. 
Dedly, deedly, deadly, death- 
like, 55, 224. 
Deduyt, pleasure, delight, 1319. 
Deef, deaf. 
Deel, a part. See Del. 
Deepe, depe, deeply, 1782. 
Deer, deere, dere, dear, dearly, 

376, 2242. 
Deeth, dethe,- death, 276. 
Degre, degree, (1) a step, 1032; 

(2) rank or station in life, 572, 576. 
Deinte, deynte, deyntee, sb. a 

dainty, rarity; adj. rare, valu- 
able. 
Del, part, portion, whit, 967, 1233. 

Never a del = never a whit, som- 

del, somewhat. 
Deleu, to have dealings with. 
Delit, delyt, delight, pleasure, 

821. 
Delve, to dig (dolven). 
Delyvere, quick, active, nimble. 
Delyverly, quickly. 
Deme, demen, to judge, decide, 

doom, suppose, deem, 1023. 
Departe, to part, separate. 276. 
Departyng, separation, 1916. 
Depeynted, painted, depicted, 

1169. 
Dere, dear. See Deere. 
Dere, deren, to hurt, injure, 

964. 
Derk, derke, dark, 1137. 
Derknesse, darkness, 693. 
Derre, dearer, 590. 
Derreyne, 75l. See Darreyne. 
Desdeyn, disdain. 
Desir, desyr, desire, 385. 
Desiryng, sb. desire, 1064. 
Despit, despite, despyt, mali- 
cious anger, vexation, 83. 
Despitous, angry to excess, 

cruel, merciless, 738. 



GLOSS AKY. 



117 



Destreine, destreyne, to vex 
constrain, 597. District and dis- 
tress are from the same source. 

Destruie, distruye, to destroy, 
472. 

Deth.. See Deeth. 

Dette, a debt. 

Detteles, free from debt. 

Devise, devyse, (1) to direct, 
order ;'(2) to relate, describe, 136, 
190. 

Devise, devys, opinion, decision, 
direction. 

Devoir, duty, 1740. 

Devynynge, divination, 1663. 

Devysyng, a putting in order, 
preparation, 1688. 

Deye, a female servant. 

Deye, deyen, to die, 251. 

Deyere, a dyer. 

Deyne, to deign. 

Deynte. See Deinte. 

Deys, dais, table of state, the 
high table, 1342. 

Dich, a ditch. See Dyke. 

Diete, dyete, diet, daily food. 

Digestible, easy to be digested. 

Digestives, things to help di- 
gestion. 

Dight, prepared, dressed, 183. 

Digne, worthy, proud, disdain- 
ful. 

Dischevele, with hair hanging 
loose. 

Disconfiture, disconfytyng, 
defeat, 150, 1861. 

Disconfort, discomfort, 1152. 

Disconforten, to dishearten, 
1846. 

Discrecioun, discretion, 921. 

Discret, discreet. 

Disheryt, disinherited, 2068. 

Disjoint, disjoynt, a difficult 
situation, 2104. 

Dispence, expense, expenditure, 
1024. 

Pispitously, angrily, cruelly, 266- 



Disport, sport, diversion. 
Disposicioun, control, guidance, 

229. 
Disputisoun, disputation. 
Divisioun, distinction, 922. 
Docked, cut short. 
Doke, a duck. 
Domb, dombe, dumb. 
Dome, doom, decision, judgment, 

opinion. See Deme. 
Dominacioun, power, control, 

1900. 
Don, doon, to do, cause, make, 

take, 1047. 
Dong, donge, dung. 
Dore, a door. 
Dorste. See Dar. 
Doseyn, a dozen. 
Doughtren, daughters. 
Doun, down, 132. 
Doute, doubt, fear, 283. 
Douteles, doubtless, without 

doubt, 973. 
Do^wves, doves, 1104. 
Dragges, drugs. 
Drawe, to carry, lead, 1689. 
Drecched, troubled (by dreams). 
Drede, dreden, to fear, dread, 

doubt. To drede, to be feared. 
Dredful, cautious, timid, 621. 
Dreem, dreeme, dreme, a 

dream. 
Dreme, dremen, to dream. 
Dremynges, dreams. 
Drenchyng, drowning, 1598. 
Dresse, to set in order, 1736. 
Dreye, dry, 2166. 
Dreynt (p. p. of d^^enc/ie), drowned. 
Dronke, dronken, p.p. drunk. 
Dronken, pi. pret. drank. 
Drope, a drop. 
Drowpede, drooped. 
Drugge, to drag, drudge, to do 

laborious work, 558. 
Duk, a leader, duke. (2) Fr. due, 

Lat. dux, from ducere, to lead, 
Pure, to endure, last, 1912, 



118 



THE KNIGHTES TALE, 



Dusken, pi. pres. grow dark or 
dim, 1948. 

Dweld, p.p. dwelt, 370. 

Dwelle, to tarry, 496, 803. 

Dyaraauntz, diamonds, 1289. 

Dy^pred, variegated, diversified 
with flourishes or sundry figures^ 
1300. 

Dyched, diked, 1030. See Dich, 
Dyke. 

Dyete. See Diete. 

Dyke, to make dikes or ditches. 

Dym, dull, indistinct, 1575. 

Dys, dice, 380. 

Dyvynistre, a divine, 1953. 

Ecclesiaste, an ecclesiastical per- 
son. 

Ech, eche, each. 

Echon, echoon, each one. 

Eek, ek, also, moreover, eke. 

Eelde, elde, age, old age, 1589, 
1590. 

Eeres, eres, ears, 664. 

Ease, ese, pleasure, amusement, 
ease. 

Eet, et, ate, did eat, 1190. 

Eft, again, after, 811. Eft-sone, 
eftsones, afterwards, presently. 

Eghen, eyes. See Eyen. 

Elde. See Eelde. 

EUes, else. 

Embrowded, embroidered. 

Emforth., to the extent of, even 
with, 1377. 

Empoysonyng, poisoning, 1602. 

Emprise, an undertaking, enter- 
prise, 1682. 

Encens, incense, 1571. 

Encombred, (1) wearied, tired, 
860; (2) troubled, in danger. It 
is sometimes written acombred. 

Encres, sb. increased, 1326. 

Encresce, encrecen, to in- 
crease, 457. 

Endelong, endlonge, length- 
ways, along, 1133, 1820. 



Endere, one who causes the death 
of another, 1918. 

Endite, to dictate, relate, 522. 

Enduren, to endure. 

Enfecte, tainted (by bribery). 

Engendred, produced. 

Engyned, tortured, racked. 

Enhaunse, to raise, 576. 

Enhorte, to encourage, 1993. We 
have discourage and dishearten^ 
but enhorte has given way to 
encourage, 1993, 

Enoynt, anointed, 2103. 

Ensample, example. 

Enspired, inspired, breathed 
into. 

Entente, intention, purpose, 142. 

En tuned, tuned, intoned. 

Envyned, stored with wine. 

Eny, any. 

Er, ere, before, 182, 297. 

Erchedeknes, archdeacon's. 

Ere, to plough, ear, 28. Earing 
is used in our Eng. Bible. 

Erly, early. 

Ernest, earnest, 267, 268. A.S. 
eornest, zeal, ardor; O.Du. em. 
sten, to endeavor. 

Erst than, for er than, before 
that, 708. Er = before, erst = 
first. 

Erthe, earth, 388. 

Eschaunge, exchange. 

Eschue, to avoid, shun, 2185. 

Esed, entertained, accommo- 
dated. 

Esely, esily, easily. 

Esen, to entertain, 1336. See 
Eese. 

Espye, to see, discover, 254, 562. 

Est, eait. 

Estat, estate, state, condition. 

Estatlich, estatly, stately, dig- 
nified. 

Estres, the inward parts of a 
building, 1113. 



GLOSSARY. 



119 



Esy, easy, moderate. 

Et, ate. See Eet. 

Ete, eten, to eat. 

Eterne, eternal, 251. 

Evel, evil. Evele, badly, 269. 

Everich, everych., every, every 

one, 1269. 
Everichon, everychon, every 

one. 
Everycli a, every, each. 
E^w, a yew-tree, 2065. 
Expounede, expounded. 
Ey, an egg. 

Eyen, eygheii, eghen, eyes. 
Eyle, to ail, 223. 
Eyr, air, 388. 

Fader, father; gen. ^mg. fader. 
Padme, fathoms, 2058. 
Pair, fayr, faire, fayre, adj. 

beautiful, fair, good; adv. grace- 
fully, neatly. 
Pairnesse, (1) beauty, 240; (2) 

honesty of life. 
Paldyng, a sort of coarse cloth. 
Palle, befell. 
Pals, false, 295. 
Palwe, pale, 506. 
Pamulier, familiar, homely. 
Pare, proceeding, affair, 951. 
Pare, faren, to go, proceed ; p.p 

Faren, fare, pi. pres. faren, 403 

407, 537, 1578. A.S. faran, to go 

pret. for, p.p. gefaren. 
Parsed, stuffed. Farse, to stuff. 
Paste, near, 618, 830. 
Paughte (O.E. faght), fought. 
Payn, fayne, glad, gladly. 
Pedde, pret. fed. 
Pee, money, reward. 
Peeld, feelde, feld, a field, 28. 
Peend, feende, fend, a fiend, 

devil. 
Peer, feere, fear, 1486. See Fer. 
Peith., faith. See Fey. 
Pel, felle, cruel, fierce, 701, 1772. 

A. S. fell, O.Fr. fel, cruel, fierce ; 



felon, cruel; felonie, anger, 
cruelt}^, treason. 

Pela"vve, a fellow. O.E. felaghe. 
The syllable fe — fee, goods, 
and Zai(; = order, law. Cp.O.N. 
felagi, a fellow, a sparer in 
goods. 

Pelaweschipe, fellowship. 

Feld, felled, cut down, 2066. 

Feld, field. See Feeld. 

Felonie, felonye, crime, dis- 
graceful conduct of any kind, 
1138. 

Fend, fende, fiend. See Feend. 

Fer, far, 992. (Comp. ferre, 1202, 
superl. ferrest. 

Fer, fere, fear, terror, 475. 

Perd, fered, frightened, terri- 
fied. See Aferd. 

Ferde, (1) went, proceeded; pi. 
ferden, 789 ; (2) acted, conducted, 
514. A.S. feran, to go. 

Perforth, ferfortlily, far forth, 
as far as, 102. 

Fermacye, a medicine, phar- 
macy, 1855. 

Feme, ancient. 

Ferre, ferrer, farther. 

Fers, fierce, 740. 

Ferthing, farthing, fourth part; 
hence a very small portion of 
anything. 

Pest, feste, a feast, 25. Lat. 
festum. 

Feste, to feast, 1335. 

Pestne, to fasten. 

Pet, fetched, brought, 1669. 

Fetlier, a feather. 

Petonsly, fetysly, neatly, pro- 
perly. 

Pettres, fetters (for the feet and 
legs), 421. 

Petys, neat, w^ell-made. 

Fey, faith, 268. 

Peyne, to feign. 

Piers, fierce, 1087. 



120 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Fil (pret. of fallen), fell. FilJei), 

pi. 91. 
Fir, fyr, fire, 2093. 
Fithele, fiddle. 
Flatour, flatterer. 
Fleigh. (pret. otfle\ flew. 
Flessh., flesh. 
Flen, to flee, flee from, 312. 
Flete, to float, swim, 1539. 
Fletyng, floating, 1098. 
Flex, flax. A.S. jleax. It is 

probably connected with A.S. 

feax, hair. 
Flikeryng, fluttering, 1104. 
Flotery, wavy, flowing, 2025. 
Flough., fl.eig]i, flew. 
Flour, flower, 124. 
Flo'vren, pret. pi. flew. 
Floytynge, playing on a flute. 
Folk, people. 
Folwe, to follow, 1509. 
Foray, foamj^, foaming, 1648. 
Fond, found, provided. 
Foo, fo, foe, enemy. A.S. /d, 

enemj-. See Fend. 
Foom, foam, 801. 
For, (1) because; (2) ^for al,' not- 
withstanding, 1162. 
For, for fear of. 
Forbere, to forbear, 27. 
Forblak, very black, 1286. 
Fordo, to ruin, destroy, 702. 
Forgete, to forget (p.p. forgeten, 

foryeten), 2196. 
Forheed, forehead. 
Forncast, pre-ordained. 
Forneys, furnace. Fr. fournaise, 

It. fornace, Lat. furnus, an 

oven. 
For-old, very old, 1284. 
Forpyned, wasted away (through 

pine or torment), tormented. 

See Pyne. 
Fors, force, 1865. 
Forslouthe, to lose through 

sloth. 
Forster, a forester. 



Forther, further. A.S. furthra. 
The O.E. forthere signifies also 
fore, front. The root fore oc- 
curs in former, foremost. 

Forthermore, furthermore, 211. 

Forthren, to further, aid, 279. 

Forthy, therefore. 

Fortune, to make fortunate, to 
give good or bad fortune, 1519. 

For^vard, covenant, agreement. 

For^vetyng, foreknowledge. See 
Wite. 

Forwot, foreknows. 

Foryete, forget, 1024. See For- 
gete. 

Foryeve, to forgive , 960. 

Fotlier, a load, properly a car- 
riage-load, 1050. It is now used 
for a certain weight of lead. 

Foughten, p.p. fought. 

Foul, fowel, a bird,/o?t'Z, 1579. 

Founden, p.p. found, 754. 

Foundre, to founder, fall down, 
1829. 

Foyne, foynen, to make a pass 
in fencing, to push, foine, 796. 
1692. 

Fraknes, freckles, 1311. Cp. Ger. 
Fleck, Flecken, a spot, stain. 

Fre, free, generous, willing. 

Fredom, freedom, liberality. 

Freend, frend, a friend, 610 
' The English friend is a partici- 
ple present. Th,e verb frijon, in 
Gothic, means to love, hence 
frijond, a lover. It is the San- 
skritprt, to love.' (Max Miiller.) 

Frendly, frendlych, friendly, 
794, 1822. 

Frendschipe, friendship. 

Frere, a friar. 

Fresch., fressh, fressclie, fresh, 
1318. A.S. fersc, O.N. friskr. 
The Eng. frisk, frisky, are from, 
the same source. 

Frete, fre ten, to eat (p.p. /re^en), 
1161. Eng./re^ 



GLOSSAKY. 



121 



Fro, froo, from. It still exists in 
. the phrase ' to and fro.'' 

Frothen, to froth, foam, 801. 

Fulfild, filled full, 82. 

Fume, effects of gluttony or 
drunkenness. Hence the use of 
fume in the sense of ' the vapors, 
dumps.' 

Fumetere, name of a plant, 
fumitory. 

Fyled, cut, formed, 1294. 

Fyn, fine, 614. 

Fynde, to invent, provide. 

Fyr, fire, 2084. Fyry, fiery, 706. 

Fyr-reed, red as fire. 

Gabbe, to lie. 

G-adere, gadre, to gather. 

Galyngale, sweet cyperus. 

Game, pleasure, sport, 948. A.S. 
gavien. 

Gamede, verb, impers. pleased. 

Gan (a contraction of began), is 
used as a mood auxiliary, e.g. 
gan espye ~ did see, 254 ; began, 
682. 

Gappe, a gap, 781. 

Gapyng, having the naouth wide 
open, gaping, 1150, to stare; 
Eng. gulp. 

Garget, the throat. Fr. gorge, a 
throat. 

Garleek, garlick; the spear- 
plant, from A.S. gar, a spear, 
leac, an herb, plant, leek. We 
have the second element in other 
names of plants, as hemlock, 
charlock, barley. 

Gaste, to terrify. See Agast. 

Gastly, horrible, 1126. See 
Agast. 

Gat, got, obtained. 

Gattotbed (having teeth far 
apart), lascivious. Du. gat, a 
hole. It is sometimes written 
gaptothed, and gagtoothed = 
having projecting teeth, which 
also signifies lascivious. 



Gaude grene, a light green color, 
1221. 

Gayler, a jailer, 206. 

Gayne, to avail, 318. 

Gaytres beryis, berries of the 
dogwood-tree. 

Geere, manner, habit, 514, 678. 
See Gere. 

Gees, geese. 

Geet, jet. Fr. jaiet, Lat. gagates. 
Used for beads, and held in high 
estimation. 

Gentil, noble. 

Gentilesse, gentleness. 

Gepoun, gypoun, a short cas- 
sock, 1262. 

Ger, gear, 1322. See Gere. 

Gere, gear, all sorts of instru- 
ments, tools, utensils, armor, ap- 
parel, fashion, 158. 

Gerful, changeable, 680. See 
Gery. 

Gerland, a garland, 196. 

Gerner, a garner. 

Gery, changeable, 678. 

Gesse, to deem, suppose, think, 
guess. 

Get, fashion, mode. 

Gete, to get, obtain. 

Giggyng, clattering, 1646. 

Gile, guile, 1738. O.Fr. guille, 
deceit, of the same origin as 
Eng, wile, wily. 

Gilteles, free from guilt, guilt- 
less, 454. 

Gipser, a pouch or purse. 

Gird, p.p. girded, girt. 

Girdel, gurdel, girdle. 

Girt, pierced, 152. Thurgh-girt, 
pierced through, is used also by 
Surrey. 

Gise, fashion, way. 

Gladen, to console, gladden, 1979. 
Gladere, sb. one who makes glad, 

1365; adj. more glad, 2193. 
Glaryng, staring (like the eyes of. 
the hare). 



122 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Grleed, gleede, a live coal, gleed, 

1139. A.S. gled, O.Du gloecl. 

Cp. O.N. gloa, to burn, gloiv; 

glod, a live coal; Ger. gliihen, to 

glow ; gluth, hot coals. 
Gliteren, to glitter, shine, 2032. 

O.X. glitra, to glitter. 
Glowen, to glow, shine; Glowe- 

den (pi. pret.), shone, 1274; 

Gloicyng, fiery. See Gleed. 
Go, gon, goo, goon (pp. go, 

gon, goon), to go, walk, Goth. 

goes, 598. Goo7i (pi.), go, walk. 
Gobet, piece, morsel, fragment. 

Prov. Eng. gob, Gael, gob, the 

mouth; whence gobble, gabble, 

etc. 
Godhede, godhead, divinity, 

1523. 
Golyardeys, a buffoon. See 

note, p. 138. 
Gon, to go. See Go. 
Gonne (pi. of gan), began, did, 

800. 
Good, property, goods. 
Goost, ghost, spirit. 
Goot, a goat, 
Gooth, goes, 213. 
Goune, go^wne, a gown. It. 

gonna, Mid. Lat. guna, gouna. 
Govemaunce, management, 

control, management of affau's, 

business matters, 455. 
Governynge, control. 
Graunte, grant, permission, 448. 
Graunte, to grant, consent to. 
Grauntyng, consent, permission, 

1581. 
Gree, the prize, grant, 1875. 
Greece, grease. 
Greene, grene, green. 
Greet, gret (def. form and pi. 

greete, grete), great (comp. 

gretter, superl. gretteste), 5, 218, 

559. 
Greve, to grieve. Agreved, 1199. 
Grave, a grove, 63. This form is 



used by some of the Elizabethan 

poets. 

Greyn, grain. 

Griffoun, a grifiQn, 1275. 

Grim, grym, fierce, 1661. A.S 
grimm, fierce, furious. 

Grisly, horrible, dreadful, 505. 

Grone, gronen, to groan; Gron 
yng, groaning. 

Grope, to try, test. It signifies 
originally to feel with the hands, 
to grope. Cp. grabble, grip, 
grasp, etc. 

Grote, a groat. 

Groynyng, stabbing, 1602. 

Grncchen, to murmur, grumble, 
grudge, 2187. 

Gruf, witli face flat to the ground, 
91; whence Eng. grovelling, 
grovel. 

Grys, fur of the gray rabbit. 

Guide, or Golde, a flower com- 
monly called a turnsol, 1071. 
Fr. goude, a marigold, so called 
from its golden color. 

Gult, gylt, guilt, conduct which 
has to be atoned for by a pay- 
ment. A.S. gild, a money pay- 
ment; Swiss gidt, Dan. gjeld, a 
a debt. Cp. A.S. gildan, Ger. 
gelten, to pay, yield. 

Gulty, guilty. 

Gnrles, young people, either 
male or female, v Low Ger. gor, 
gore, a child. The O.E. wench-el, 
a boy, is our word icench. 

G-ye, to guide, 1092. Fr. guider, 
guier. 

Gylt, guilt, 907. See Gult. 

Gynglen, to jingle. 

Gynne, to begin, 2160. 

Gyse, guise, fashion, mode, wise, 
135, 350. Fr. guise, Welsh gwis, 
Ger. Weise, Eng. wise, mode, 
fashion. 

Haberdasshere, a seller of hats. 
' The Haberdasher heapeth 



GLOSSARY. 



123 



wealth by hattes." Gascoigne, 
The Fruites of Warre. 

Habeigeon, habergoun, a di- 
minutive haubei'k, a small coat 
of mail, 1261. O.Fr. hauherc, 
O.H.Ger. halsberc, A.S. heals- 
beorg, a coat of mail, from heals, 
the neck, and beorgan, to cover 
or protect. 

Hade = O.E. havede (sing.), had. 

Hakke, to hack, 2007. Du. hacken, 
Ger. hacken, to cut up, chop; 
Dan. hakke, to peck; Fr. hacher, 
to mince; whence Eng. hash, 
hatch, hatchet. 

Hal"V^es, saints. AS. bdlga, a 
saint (as in " All Hallows" E'en), 
from hdl. whole. 

Hamer, a hammer, 1650. 

Han = haven, to have. 

Happe, to happen, befall. 
Whence happy, mis-hap, per- 
haps, vnay-hap. O.E. happen, 
happy; O.N. happ, fortune; W. 
ha}?, luck. 

Hardily, certainly. 

Hardynesse, boldness, 1090. 

Hiiried, harried, taken as 
prisoner. Fr. harier, to hurry, 
harass, molest. (Cotgrave.) 

Harlot. It signifies (1) a young 
person ; (2) a person of low birth ; 
(3) a person given to low con- 
duct; (4) a ribald. 

Harlotries, ribaldries. 

Harnays, harneys, herneys, 
armor, gear, furniture, harness, 
148, 755. 

Harneysed, equipped. 

Harre, a hinge. 

Harro'W, a cry of distress. O.Fr. 
harau, hare! Scottish /ian*o, a 
cry for help. 

Hauberk, a coat of mail, 1573. 
See Habergeon. 

Haiint, (1) a district, (2) custom, 
practice, skill. 



Hede, heed, heede, head. 

Heeld, held. 

Heep, heap, assembly, host. 

Heer, heere, here, hair. 

Heere, to hear. 

Heete, to promise, 1540. 

Heeth, heethe, a heath. 

Hegge, a hedge. 

Heigh, heygh, heih, high, 207; 
great, 940. 

Heigher, upper. 

Hele, health, 413. 

Helpen of, to help off, get rid of. 

Hera, them. 

Hemself, themselves, 396. 

Heraselve, hemselven, them- 
selves. 

Heng (pret. of honge), hanged. 

Henne, hence, 1498. 

Hente, henten, seize, take hold 
of, get, 46. (Fret, hente, 442; p.p. 
hent, 723.) A.S. hentan. 

Her, here, 933. 

Heraude, a herald, 159, 1675. 
Fr. herauld, heraut, from O.H. 
Ger. haren, to shout, 

Herbergage, herbergh, lodg- 
ing, inn, port, harbor. 

Herd, haired, 1660. 

Herde, a herd, keeper of cattle, a 
shepherd, 603. 

Here, heer, hair, 1285. See Heer. 

Here, their, of them, 320. Here 
alley = of them all. 

Herknen, to hark, hearken, 
listen, 668, 985, 1674, 

Herneys, 148. See Harnays. 

Hert, a hart, 831. 

Herte. a heart. 

Herte-spon, 1748. The provin- 
cial heart-spoon signifies the 
navel. 

Herteles, without heart, coward- 
ly. 

Hertely, heartily. 

Hest, command, behest, 1674. A.S. 
hces, from hdtan, to command. 



124 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Hethe, heath. See Heeth. 

Hetliene, a heathen. 

Hethenesse, the country inhab- 
ited by the heathens, in contra- 
distinction to Christendom. 

Heve, to heave, raise. Heve of = 
to Uft off. 

Hevenlyche, heavenly, 197. 

Hew, h.ewe, color, complexion, 
/me, 506. Hewes, colors for 
painting, 1230. 

Hewe, to cut, 564. 

Hewed, colored. See Hew. 

Hey, heye, heygh, heyh, high, 
highly. 

Hider, hither. 

Hidous, hideous, 1120. Hidously. 
hideously, 843. 

Hight, highte, was called, prom- 
ised, 333, 1614. 

Hight e. ' On hight e ' = aloud, 
926. 

Hill, tLihe, high, 1605. 

Hiled, hidden, kept secret. 

Himselve, himselven, dat. and 
ace. of himself. 

Hipes, hips. 

Hire, her. 

Hit, it. 

Ho, hoo, an interjection com- 
manding a cessation of any- 
thing, 848, 1675. Cp. the carter's 
whoa! to his horse to stop. 

Hold, ' in hold,' in possession, 
custody. 

Holde, holden, beholden, 449; 

esteemed, held, 832, 1861. 
Holly, wholly. SeeiJooL 
Holpen, helped. See Helpen. 
Holt, holte, a wood, grove. 
Holwe, hollow, a hole, a ditch. 
The termination -we or -ow had 
originally a diminutival force. 
Horn, home; Homward, home- 
ward, 1881, 2098. 
Homicides, murderers. 
Hond, honde, hand. 



Honest, creditable, honorable, 
becoming. 

Honge, hongen, to hang (pret. 
heng), 638, 1552. 

Honte, honter, a hunter, 780, 
820. 

Honte, hanten, to hunt, 782. On 
hontyng — a-hunting, 829. 

Hoo. See Ho. 

Hool, hoole, whole. A.S. hdl, 
whole, sound; whence whole- 
some, holy, etc. 

Hoom, home. Hoomly, homely. 

Hoost, host. 

Hoot, hoote, bote, hot, hotly. 

Hoppesteres (applied to ships), 
warlike, 1159. -sfe?- is a termina- 
tion marking the feminine gen- 
der, as in modern Eng. spinster. 

Hors, horse. PI. hors, horses, 
1634. 

Hostelrie, hostelrye, an hotel, 
inn. 

Hostiler, innkeeper. 

Hote, hot. See Hoot. 

Hote, to be called, 699. See 
Heete, Hight. 

Hous, hows, house. Houshal- 
dere, householder. 

Housbondry, economy. 

Ho^wpede, = houped, whooped. 
Hooping-cough is properly 
whooping-cough. 

Humblesse, humility, 923. 

Hunte, a hunter, 1160. 

Hunteresse, a female hunter, 
1489. 

Hurtle, to push, 1758. 

Hust, hushed, 2123. 

Hye, hyhe, high, highly, 39, 
1217. 

Hye, haste, 2121 ; to hasten, 1416. 
In hye = in haste, hastily. 

Hyndreste, hindmost. Cp. over- 
est, overmost, uppermost. 

Hyne, hind, servant. 

Hynge (pi. pret. of /ion^en),hung. 



GLOSSARY. 



125 



I, a prefix used to denote the past 
participle (like the modern Ger- 
man ge), as in the following 
words:— I-bete, ornamented, 121; 
I-born, born, 161; I-bounde, 
bound, 1293; I-hounden, bound, 
291; I brought, brought; I- 
cauglit, caught, 1093; I-cleped, 
called, 9; I-clenched, fastened, 
clinched, 1138; I-doo, I-doon, 
done, 167, 1676; I-draiue, drawn, 
1784; I-fetered, fettered, 371; 
I-laft, left, 1888; I-mad, I-maad, 
I-maked, made, 1207, 2236; clot- 
ted, 1307; I-sent, sent, 2012; I-set, 
set, appointed, 777; 1-skaIded, 
scalded, 1162; I-slawe, I-slayn, 
slain, 85; l-styhed, pierced, 
stabbed, 707; I-swore, sworn, 
274; I-wedded, wedded, 2240; 
I-tvrye, covered^ 2046. 

Iliche, iUke, alike, 681, 1668. 

like, same. Cp. " of that t7fc. " 

In, inne, house, lodging,inn,1579. 

InecLual, unequal, 1413. 

Inne, adv. in, 760. 

Inned, lodged, entertained, 1334. 

Inough, enough. 

I wis, iwys, indeed, truly. (It is 
often contracted to wis.) 

Jalous, jealous, 471. 

Jangle, to prate, babble. 

Jangler, a prater, babbler. 

Jape, a trick, jest. 

Jape, to befool, deceive, 871. It 
is probably connected with Eng. 
gabble, gabbe, etc. 

Jolitee, joyfulness, 949. 

Jolyf, joyful, pleasant. Jolynesse^ 
joyfulness. 

Journee, a day's journey, 1880. 

Juge, jugge, a judge, 854. 

Juggement, judgment. 

Juste, jousten, to joust, tilt, en- 
gage in a tournament, 1628. 

Justes, =jouste, a tournament, 
1862. 



Juwyse, judgment, 881. 
Kaytives, prisoners, wretches, 

859. See Caitif. 
Keep, keepe, kepe, care, atten- 
tion, heed. Take keep = take 

care, 531. 
Keepe, kepe (pret. kepte, p.p. 

kep), to guard, preserve, take 

care (as in 1 kepe nat = 1 care 

not), 1380. 
Kenibd,combed, neatly trimmed, 

1285. 
Kempe, shaggy,literally crooked, 

1276. 
Kene, keen, sharp. 
Kervere, a carver, 1041 . 
Kervyng, cutting, carving, 1057. 

See Carf. 
Keverchef, a kerchief. 
Kind, kynd, kynde, nature, 

1593. 
Knarre, a knotted, thick-set fel- 
low. 
Knarry, full of gnarrs or knots, 

1119. 
Knave, a boy, a servant, 1870. 
Kniglithede, knighthood, 1931. 
Knobbe, a pimple. 
Knowe, pp. known , 345, 1442. 
Knyf, a knife, 1141. 
Kouthe, known, renowned. See 

Co lithe. 
Kyn, kine. 

Kyndled, lighted, 1437. 
Kynrede, kindred, 428. 
Laas, las, a lace, belt, 1093. 
Laas, net, snare, 959. 
Lacert, a fleshy muscle, so called 

from being shaped like a lizard, 

1895. 
Lad (p.p.). 1'<'62; Ladde (pret.), 

588; led, carried. 
Lafte (pret. sing.); Laf ten (pret. 

pi.), 34, left, ceased. Cp. the 

phrase '* left off." 
Lak, want, lack. 
* Lakke, to lack, be wanting, 1422. 



126 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Langage, language. 

Large, adj. free; adv. largely. 
Chaucer says, " at his large,'" 
425, where we should say "at 
large."' 

Las, snare. See Laas. 

Lasse, less, 898. 

Lasyiig, lacing, fastening, 1646. 
See Laas. 

Lat, imp. let, lat be, cease. 

Ijate, lately, recently. 

Latoun, a kind of brass, or tinned 
iron, kitten . 

Launde, a plain surrounded by 
trees, hunting-grounds, 833. It 
seems to be, with a difference of 
meaning, our modem word Jaicn. 

Laurer, a laurel, 169, " In a fay re 
fresh and grene laitrere."" 

La^NTghe, to laugh. 

Laxatif, laxatyf, a purging medi- 
cine. 

Laynere, a lacner or whiplash, 
1646. 

Lazar, lazer,aleper. 

Lechecraft, the skill of a physi- 
cian, 1887. 

Leede (dat), a caldron, copper. 
It also signifies a kettle. 

Leef pi. leves, leeves), leaf, 980. 

Leef tdef. form voc. case leeve\ 
dear, beloved, pleasing, 278, 979. 

Leeme, gleam. 

Leep, leaped, 1829. 

Leere, lere, to learn. 

Leese, lose, to lose, 432. 

Leesyng, loss. 849. 

Leet ipret.', let, 348. 

Leeve, believe, 2230. 

Lef, imp. leave, 756. 

Ijene. to lend, give, 2224. 

Lena, leene, lean, poor. 

Lenger. lengere, longer. 

Lepart. a leopard, 1328. 

Lere. See Leere. 

Leme, to learn. 

Lese, to lose, 357. See Leese, 



Lest, leste, least, 263. 

Leste, list, lust, pleasure, de- 
light, joy, 493. 

Iieste, liste, lyste, luste, vb. 
impers. please, 191. 

Lesynges, leasing, lies, 1069. 

Lete, lette, to leave, 477. " Let- 
ten o/" = refrain from, 459. See 
I^eet. 

Lette, to hinder, delay, tarry, put 
off (pret. lette), 31, 10:^4. Cp. 
Eng. late, lazy. 

Lette, delay, hindrance. See 
previous word. 

Lever, rather (comp. of leef or 
lief). 

Leaved, leijrd, ignorant, un- 
learned. Leiced-man, a layman. 

Leye, to lay. 

Leyser, leisure, 330. 

Licenciat, one licensed by the 
Poi)e to hear confessions in all 
places, and to administer pen- 
ance independently of the local 
ordinaries. 

Lich.e-'vsrake, the vigil, icatch, or 
wake held over the body of the 
dead, 2100. 

LicouT, liquor. 

liiefe, beloved. See Leef. 

Lif, lyf, life, 1918. 

Ligge, to lie, 1347. 

Lightly, (1) easily, (2) joyfully. 

Lik, lyk, like, 443. ^ 

Like, vb. impers. to please. 

Lipsede, lisped. 

Liste. See Leste. 

Listes, lystes, lists, a place en- 
closed for combats or tourna- 
ments, 1687. 

Litarge, white lead. 

Lite, lyte, ILtel, httle, 476. 

Lith, lies, 360. 

Ijith., a limb, any member of the 
body. 

Live, dat. of lif, life; on live, in 
life, alive, 1^0. 



GLOSSARY. 



127 



liodemenage, pilotage. 
liOgge, loge, to lodge, sb. a 
lodging, inn. Loggyng, lodging. 
Loken, to see, look upon, 925. 
Loken, locked, enclosed. 
Lokkes, locks (of hair), curls. 
Lokyng, appearance, sight, 1313. 
Tjond, londe, land. 
Longe, longen, to belong, 1420. 
Longe, longen, to desire, long 

for. 
Longes, lungs, 1894. 
Loode, a load, 2060. 
Loodesterre, a loadstar, the 
pole-star, 1201. The first ele- 
ment is the A.S. lad, away, from 
Icedan, to lead, conduct. It oc- 
curs again in loadstone; lode^ a 
vein of metal ore. 
Loor, loore, lore, precept, doc- 
trine, learning. See Leere. 
Lordynges, lordlings (a diminu- 
tive of lord), sirs, my masters. 
Lorn, lost. See Leese. 
Los, loss, 1685. 
Losengour, a flatterer, liar. 
Losten (pi. pret.), lost. See 

Leese. 
Ijoth., odious, hateful, disagree- 
able, loath, unwilling, 979. 
Lovyere, a lover. 
Lo-wde, loud, loudly. 
Luce, a pike. 
Liist, pleaseth. See Leste. 
Lust, pleasure. 
Luste, pleased. 

Lusty, pleasant, joyful, 655. 
Lustily, Lustely^ merrily, joy- 
fully, 671. 
Lustynesse, pleasure, 1081. 
Lyf, life. 

Lyfly, lifehke, 1229. 
Lyggeii, to lie, 3 pi. pres. 
Lyk, like, alike. 
Lymes, limbs, 1277. 
Lymytour, a friar licensed to ask 
alms within a certain limit. 



Lyn, pi. lie. 

Lynage, lyne, lineage, 252, 693, 

Lynd, linden-tree, 2064. 

Lystes. See Listes. 

Lyt, lyte, little, 335. 

Lyve. See Live. 

Lyvere, livery. 

Lyves, alive, living, 1537. 

Maad, mad, p.p. made. 

Maat, dejected, downcast, 98. 

Maist, mayest, 385. Maistow, 
mayest thou, 378. 

Maister, m.ayster, a master, 
chief, a skilful artist Maist'er- 
streete = the chief street, 2044. 

Maistre, skill, power, superiority. 

Make, a companion or mate, 1698. 

Maked, p.p. made, 1666. 

Male, a portmanteau, bag, mail. 

Malencolie, malencolye, sb. 
melancholy. Adj. Malencolyk 
517. 

Manace, manasyng, a threat, 
menace, 1145, 1178. 

Mancioun, a mansion, 1116. 

Maner, manere, manner, kind, 
sort, 1017. '' Amaner dey" = tx 
sort of dej", or farm-servant. 

Manliede, manhood, manliness. 

Mantelet, a little mantle, a short 
mantle, 1305. 

Manye, mania, madness, 516. 

Many oon, many a one. 

Marcliaunt, a merchant. 

Marsclial, marshal of the hail. 
"The marshal of the hall was 
the person who, at public festi- 
vals, placed every person accord- 
ing to his rank. The marshal of 
the field presided over any out- 
door games. 

Martirdam, torment, martyr- 
dom, 602. 

Martyre, to torment, 704. 

Mary, marrow. 

Mase, a Avild fancy. Cp. the 
phrase " to be in a maze,"" 



128 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Mateere, mater, matere, mat- 
ter, 401. 

Matrimoyn, matrimony, 2237. 

Maugre, mawgre, in spite of, 
311,1760. 

Maunciple^ an officer who has 
the care of purchasing victuals 
for an Inn of Court or College. 

Maydenhode, maidenhood, 1471. 

Mayntene, maynteyne, to 
maintain, 583. 

Mayst, mayest. See Maist. 

Med, meed, mede, meede, a re- 
ward, meed. 

Mede, a mead or meadow, hay- 
land. 

Me die, of a mixed color. Fr. 
medler, meslei', to mix. 

Meel, a meal. A.S. mcel, what is 
marked out, a separate part, a 
meal, a mark, spot. 

Meke, meek. 

Mellere, a miller. 

Men, one ; used like the Fr. on, 

Mencioun, mention, 35. 

Mene, to mean, intend (pret. 
mente). 

Menstralcye, minstrelsy, 1666. 

Mere, a mare. 

Merie, mery, merye, murye, 
pleasant, joyful, merry, 641. 

Meriely, pleasantlj-. 

Mermayde, a mermaid. 

Mertha, myrthe, pleasure, 
amusement. 

Mervaille, mervaylle, marvel. 

Meschaunce, mischance, mis- 
fortune, 1151. 

Mescheef, mescliief, misfor- 
tune, what turns out ill, 468. Fr. 
meschef (mes = minus, less ; chef 
= caput, head). 

Messager, a messenger, 633. 

Mester, trade, business, occupa* 
tion; mester men = sort of men, 
852. 

Mesurable^ moderate. 



Met, p.p. dreamed. See Mete, 

666. 
Mete, meat, food. Eng. mess. 
Mete, to meet, 6G6. 

Mete, to dream, pret. mette. It 
is used impersonally as me mette, 
I dreamed. 

Meth, mead, a drink made of 
honey, 1421. 

Mewe, a mue or coop where 
fowls were fattened. 

Meyne, household, attendants, 
suite, domestics, 400. 

Middel, middle, midst. 

Minister, mynistre, an office of 
justice. " Minister meant etj- 
mologically a small man; and it 
was used in opposition to mag- 
ister, a big man. Minister is 
connected with minus, less; 
magister with magis, more. 
(Max Miiller, Science of Lan- 
guage.) 

Misboden, insulted, injured, 51. 

Misch-aunce. See Meschaunce. 

Mo, moo, more. A.S. md. 

Moclie, mochel, muchel, adj. 
much, great; adv. great]}-. 
Moche and lite = great and 
small. 

Moder, mother. 

Moevere, mover, first cause, 
2129. 

Mone, moone, the moon. 

MonethL, a month. 

Mood, anger, 902. 

Moone, a moan, lamentation, 
508. 

Moorning, mourning, 2110. 

Moot, may, must, ought (pi. 
pres. mooteny pret. moste, 
muste). 

Mor, more, greater, more, 898. 

Mordre, sb. murder. 

Mordrer, a murderer. 

Mormal, a cancer, sore, or gan- 
grene. 



GLOSSARY. 



129 



Mome, adj. morning. 

Mortlire, vb. to murder; sb. mur- 
der, 398. 

Mortreux, a kind of soup or pot- 
tage. 

Morwe, morwenynge, morn- 
ing, morrow, 204. 

Mosel, Fr. museau, muzzle, nose 
of an animal, 1293. 

Most, greatest, most, 37. 

Moste, must. See Moot. 

Mot, may, must. See Moot. 

Mote, pi. must. 

Motteleye, motley. 

Mountaunce, amount, value, 
712. 

Mous, a mouse, 403. 

Mo\sre, be able, 2141. 

Murmure, murmuring, 1601. 

Murtheryng, murdering, 1143. 

Murye, pleasant, merry, 528. 

Mynde, a remembrance, 544, 
1048. 

Mynour, a miner, 1607. 

Mynstralcye, minstrelsy, 1339. 

Myrour, a mirror, 541. 

Myselven, myself. 

Mysliappe, to mishap, turn out 
badly, befall amiss, 788. 

Myster, need, necessity, 482. 

!N"acioun, nation. 

Naker, a kettle-drum, 1653. 

Na,wi'= ne-\-am, am not, 264. 

Wamelyclie, especially, 410. 

War'we, close, narrow. 

]>3'as = ne-\-was, was not. 

]>jrat, not. 

Wath. = ne + hath, hath not, 65. 

Katheles, nevertheless. 

N"e, adv. not; conj. nor. Ne . . . 
ne = neither . . , nor. Ne . . , 
but, only. 

Wedeth., must of necessity (die), 

- 2170. 

!N"eede, needful. 

If eedely, of necessity. 



Weedes, nedes, of necessity, 311. 

Needes-cost = needes-way.s, of 

necessity, 619. 
Neer, ner, near, nearer, 581, 992. 
Weet, neat, cattle. 
Neigh, neighe, neih., neyh, 

nigh, near, nearly, 472; as neigh 

as = as near (close) as. 
Kekke, neck. Nekke-boon, bone 

of the neck. 
Wer, nearer. 

Nercotyks, narcotics, 614. 
iN'ere = ne-\- were, were not, 17. 
!N"e"we, newly, recently. 
!N"exte, nearest, 555. 
iKTice, nyce, foolish. 
Wight, pi. nights. 
Wightertale, the night-time; 

-tale = reckoning, period. 
Nis, nys, = ne-\- is, is not, 43. 
Koght, not. 

!N"olde = ne -\- wolde, would not. 
Kombre, number. 
Womoo, no more. 
Kon, noon, none. 
I3"ones, nonce. 
Wonne, a nun. 
Woot, not = ne + wot, know not, 

knows not, 181, 482. See Wost. 
Woote, a note (in music). 
Norice, nurse. 

Korisching, norischynge, nu- 
triment, nurture, 2159. 
ISTose-thurleSjUostrils. SeeThii-le. 
"Not = ne + v)ot, knows not, 405. 
iKTotabilite, a thing worthy to be 

known. 
Ifot-heed, a crop-head. 
Wother, neither, nor, 513. 
Kothing, adv. not at all, 647. 
Nought, not. A.S. nawiht = ne 

-{- a-\-whit, not a whit. 
Nouthe = nou -\- the = now -\- 

then, just now, at present. As 

nouthe = at present. 
Nygard, a niggard. 



130 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



O, one, 354. 

Obeissance, obeisaunce, obedi- 
ence, 2116. 

Observaunce, respect, 187, 642. 

Of, off, 1818. 

OflEende, to hurt, injure, attack, 
51. 

OflPensioun, offence, hurt, dam- 
age, 1558. 

OflPertorie, a sentence of -Scrip- 
ture said or sung after the Nicene 
Creed in the Liturgy of the 
Western Church. 

OflFryng, the alms collected at the 
Offertory. 

Ofte sithes, oftentimes. 

Oghte, ought. 

Ok, ook, an oak, 1432, 2159. 

On, oo, oon, one. Oones, once. 

On and oon, one by one. 

Ony, any. 

Oonely, oonly, 515. 

Opye, opium, 614. 

Or, ere, before, 771. So Ps. xc. 2. 
" Or ever"" = ere ever. 

Or . . or = either . . or, 627, 628. 

Oratory e, a closet set apart for 
prayers or study, 1047. 

Ordeyne, to ordain, 1695. 

Ordynaunce, plan, orderly dis- 
position, 1709. 

Orisoun, prayer, orison, 1514. 

Orlogge, a clock. 

Oth, an oath. 

Oughne, own. 

Outehees, outcry, alarm, 1154. 

Outrely, utterly, wholly. 

Out-sterte, started out. 

Over, upper. Overeste, upper- 
most. 

Overal, everywhere. Cp. Ger. 
iiberall. 

Overlippe, upper lip. 

Over-ryden, ridden over, 1164. 

Overspradde, pret. spread over. 

Over-ttLWart, athwart, across, 



1133. (Eng. queer = O.E. quer, 
Ger. quer, athwart.) 

Owen, owne, own, 2219. 

Owher, anywhere. 

Oynement, ointment, unguent. 

Oynonns, onions. 

Paas, pas, a foot-pace, 1032. Fr. 
pas, Lat. passus. 

Pace, to pass, 2140; pass on, or 
away, 744. 

Pacient, patient. 

Paleys, palace, 1341. " A palace 
is now the abode of a royal fam- 
ily. But if we look at the history 
of the name we are soon carried 
back to the shepherds of the 
Seven Hills. There on the Tiber, 
one of the seven hills was called 
the Collis Palatinus, and the hill 
w^as called Palatinus from Pales, 
a pastoral deity, whose festival 
was celebrated every year on 
the 21st of April, as the birthday 
of Rome. It was to commemo- 
rate the day on which Romulus, 
the w^olf -child, Avas supposed to 
have drawn the first furrow on 
the foot of that hill, and thus to 
have laid the foundation of the 
most ancient part of Rome, the 
Roma Quadrata. On this hill, 
the Collis Palatinus, stood in 
later times the houses of Cicero 
and of his neighbor and enemy 
Catiline. Augustus built his 
mansion on the same hill, and 
his example was followed by 
Tiberius and Nero. Under Nero, 
all private houses had to be 
pulled down on the Collis Pala- 
tinus, in order to make room for 
the emperor's residence, the 
Domus Aurea, as it was called, 
the Golden House. This house 
of Nero's was henceforth called 
the Palatium, and it became the 



GLOSSARY. 



131 



type of all the palaces of the 
kings and emperors of Europe." 
(Max Miiller, Science of Lan- 
guage.) 

Palfrey, a horse for the road. 

Pan, the skull, brain-pan, 307. 

Paramentz, ornamental furni- 
ture or clothes, 1643. 

Paramour, by way of love, 297; 
a lover, of either sex, 1254. 

Parde, pardee = 2^^'^ Dieu, a 
common oath. 

Pardoner, a seller of indul- 
gences. 

Parfight, perfect. 

Parisclien, a parishioner. 

Parte, party, company, 1724. 

Partrich., a partridge. 

Party, partly, 195. Partye, a 
part, party, 2150; adj. partial, 
1799. 

Pas, foot-pace. See Paas. 

Passe, to surpass. Passant, Pass- 
yng, surpassing, 1249, 2027. 

Payen, pagan, 1512. 

Peere, equal, as in peerless. 

Pees, peace, 589. 

Peire, pair. 

Pekke, pike, to pick. A.S. pycan^ 
to pick, pull; Du. picken, to 
pick. 

Penaunce, penance, pain, sor- 
row, 457. 

Perce, to pierce. 

Perfight, perfyt, perfect. 

Perrye, jewelry, 2078. 

Pers, of a sky-blue color. 

Persoun, a parson or parish 
priest. 

Pertourben, to disturb, 48. 

Pestilens, pestilence, plague. 

Peyne, sb. pain, grief, 439. 

Peyne, peynen, to take pains, 
endeavor. 

Peynte, to paint, 1076. 

Peyre, a pair, 1263. 

Pight =pighte, pitched, 1831. 



Piked, adj. trimmed. 

Pikepurs, a pick-purse, 1140. 

Piled, stripped of hair, bald. 

Piler, a pillar, 1135. 

Pilour, a plunderer, 149. See 
Piled. 

Pil^we beer, a pillow-case. 

Pitaunce, a mess of victuals; 
properly an additional allowance 
served to the inmates of re- 
ligious houses at a high festival. 

Pitous, compassionate, piteous. 

Pitously, piteously, 259. 

Plat, plain, fiat, 987. 

Plein, pleyne, pleinly, full, 
fully, openly. Pleyn, bataile = 
open battle, 130. 

Pleinly, pleynly, fully, 875. 

Plentevons, plentiful. 

Plesance, plesaunce, pleasure, 
713. 

Plesant, plesaunt, pleasant. 

Plese, to please. 

Pley, pleye, play, pleasure, 
267. 

Pleye, pleyen, to play, take 
one's pleasure. Pleyynge, play- 
ing, amusement. 203. 

Pleyn, plain. 

Pleyne, to complain, 462. 

Pleynen, to complain, 393. 

Pocock, peacock. It is also writ- 
ten pacock. 

PoUax, a halberd, pole-axe, 1686. 

Pomel, top of the head, 1831. 

Pomely, marked with round 
spots like an apple,' dappled. 

Poplexie, apoplexy. 

Poraille, the poor. 

Pore. See Poure. 

Port, carriage, behavior. 

Portreiture, pourtreiture, a 
picture, 1110. 

Portreying, painting, 1080. 

Portreyour, a painter, 1041. 

Pose, to propose, question, 304. 

Post, pillar, support. 



132 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Poudre-marcliaunt, a kind of 
spice. 

Poure, poor. Fovrely, poorlj^ 
554. 

PoTvpe, to make a noise with a 
horn. 

Po"wre, to pore, to look close and 
long. 

Poynaunt, pungent. 

Poynt, particle, particular, 643. 

Practisour, practitioner. 

Preche, to preach. 

Preest, prest, a priest. 

Preisen, praysen, to praise. 

Prese, to press, 1672. 

Prest, ready. Lat. praesto, in 
readiness. 

Preve, sb. proof, vb. to prove, 
put to proof. 

Preye, to pray, 625. 

Preyeres, prayers. 

Pricasour, a hard rider. 

Prik, prikke, a point, 1748. 

Prike, (1) to prick, wound; (2) to 
spur a horse, to ride hard ; (3) to 
excite, spur on, 185, 1820. 

Prikyng, riding. 

Prime, pryme, the first quarter 
of the artificial day, 1331. 

Pris, prys, price, praise, estima- 
tion, prize, 1383. See Preisen. 

Prively, privyly, secretly. 

Propre, peculiar, own. 

Prow, advantage, profit. 

Prys, price, prize, fame. See 
Preisen. 

Pryvyte, privity, privacy, priv- 
ate business, 553. 

PuUe, to pluck. Pulle a fynch =■ 
pluck a pigeon. 

Pulled, moulting. 

Pultrie, poultry. Fr. poule, a 
hen; Lat. pullns, young of an 
animal. 

Purclias, anything acquired 
(honestly or dishonestly); pro- 
ceeds of begging. 



Purchasour, prosecutor. 
Purchasyng, prosecution. 
Pure, mere, very, 421. 
Purfi.led, embroidered, fringed. 

It. porfilo, a border in armorj^ a 

worked edge) a profile. 
Purpos, purpose, design, 1684. 
Purs, purse. Fr. bourse, Lat. 

bursa, hide, skin. 
Purtreiture, painting, picture, 

1057. 
Purtreye, portray. 
Purveiaunce, purveyans, fore- 
sight, providence, plan, 394, 807, 

2153. 
Pynche, to find fault with. 
Pyne, sb. torment, pain, grief. 
Pyne, pynen, to torment, grieve* 

888. 
Pynoun, a pennant or ensign 

(borne at the end of a lance), 

120. 
Qualme, sickness, pestilence, 

1156. 
Quelle, to kill. See Qualme. 
Quen, a queen, 24. 
Queynt, pp. ; pret. queynte, 

quenched, 1463, 1476. Cp. 

dreynte = drenched. 
Queynte, strange, quaint, un- 
couth, 673, 1471. 
Quod, quoth, 49, 376. 
Quook, quok, quaked, trembled, 

718, 904. To ,this family of 

words belong quag, quaver, wag, 

wave. 
Quyke, alive, quick, 157; vb. to 

revive, 1477. Cp. " the quick 

and the dead." 
Quyte, free, as in our phrase "to 

get quit of," hence to requite. 
Quyte, to set free, 174. 
Quytly, free, at liberty, 934. 
Rad (p.p. of rede, to read), read, 

1737. 
Rage, vb. to play, toy wantonly; 

gb. a raging wind, 1127. 



GLOSSARYo 



133 



Ransake, to search (for plunder), 
-ransack, 147. 

Rasour, a razor, 1559. 

Rather, sooner, 295. Milton 
uses 7'athe in the sense of 
"early." 

Raughte (pret. of reche), reached, 
2057. 

Raunsoun, ransom, 166, 318. 
Lat. red-emptio^ a purchase 
back, redemption. 

Real, rial, ryal, royal, kingly; 
Really, royally, 160, 855. 

Rebel, rebellious, 2188. Rebel- 
lyng, rebellion, 1601. 

Recche, Rekke (pret. roghte, 
r ought e)^ to care, take heed to, 
reck, 540, 1387, 1399. 

Re'cclieles, reckless, careless. 

Reconforte, to comfort, 1994. 

Recorde, to remember, remind. 

Red (imp. of rede), read. 

Rede, reed, counsel, adviser. 

Rede, to advise, explain, inter- 
pret, 2213. 

Rede, to read. 

Redoutyng, reverence, 1192. 

Redy, ready. 

Reed, plan, 358. See Rede. 

Reed, reede, red. 

Reeve, steward, bailiff. In com- 
position, shire-reeve — sheriff. 

Refreissche, to refresh, 1764. 

Regne, a kingdom, reign, 8, 766. 

Relierce, to rehearse. Fr. re- 
hercer, to go over again, like a 
harrow (Fr. herce) over a 
ploughed field. 

Rehersyng, rehearsal, 792. 

Reken, rekne, to reckon, 1075. 

Rekkenynge, reckoning. 

Reme (pi, rentes), realm. 

Romenant, remenaunt, a rem- 
nant. 

Rendyng, tearing (of hair), 1976. 

Renges, ranks, 1736. 

Renne, to run. We have this 



form in rennet, or runnet, that 

which makes milk ru?i or curdle. 
Rennyng, running. 
Rente, revenue, income, profits. 
Repentaunce, penitence, 918. 
Repentaunt, penitent. 
Repplicacion, a reply, 288. 
Reportour, reporter. 
Rescous, rescue, 1785. 
Rese, to quake, shake, 1128. 
Resons, opinions, reasons. 
Resoun, reason, right. 
Reso"wne, to resound, 420. 
Respite, delay, 90. 
Rethor, a rhetorician. 
Rette, to ascribe, impute. See 

Aretted. 
Reule, sb. rule, vb. to rule, 814. 
Revel, feasting, merry-making, 

1859. 
Reverence, respect. 
Revers, reverse, contrary. 
Re^we, rewen, to be sorry for, 

to have compassion or pity on, 

to rue, 1005, 1375. 
Rewe, a row, line, 2008. 
Re-wfulleste, most sorrowful, 

2028. 
Re"wle, to rule. See Reule. 
Reyse, to make an inroad or mili- 
tary expedition. 
Reyn, reyne, sb. rain, vb. to 

rain, 617. 
Rially, riallyche, royally. 
Rich.esse, riches, 397. This word, 

as well as ahns, is a singular noun 

derived immediately from the 

French. 
Riden, to ride. 
Rightes, rightly, 994. At alle 

rightes = rightly in all respects. 
Rome, to walk, roam, 207. 
Ronne, ronnen, pret. pi. ran^ 

2067. 
Rood, rode. 
Roos, rose. 
Roost, a roast. 



134 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Roote, rote. By roote = by rote. 

Rore, to roar, 2023. A.S. raran. 

Roste, to roast. 

Rote, a harp. See Roote. 

RougtLte, cared for. See Recche. 

Rouke, to lie close, cower down, 
to ruck, 450. 

Roimcy, a hackney. Fr. roncin. 

Roundel, song, 671. 

Route, rowte, a company, as- 
sembly. 

Routhe, rcwthe, pity, compas- 
sion, sorrow, 56. See Reive. 

Rudelyche, rudely. 

Ruggy, rugged, rough Qit. torn, 
broken, uneven), 2025. 

Ryal, royal, 639. 

Ryally, royally, 829. 

Ryngen, ring, resound, 1742. 

Ryt, rides, 123. 

Sad, sober, staid, 2127. 

Sadly, firmly, 1744. 

Salue, to salute, 634. 

Saluyng, salutation, 791. 

Sangwin, of a blood-red color. 

Sauce, saucer. 

Sauf, save, except. 

Saufly, safely. 

Saugh, sawgh, sauh fpret. of 
se), saw. 

Save, the herb sage or salvia, 
1855. 

Sawce, sauce; from Lat. sal, salt. 

Sawceflem, pimpled. 

Sa"we, a saying, word, discourse, 
668. 

Sawtrie, a psaltery, a musical in- 
strument something like a harp. 

Say (pret. of se), saw. 

Sayn, to say. 

Scape, to escape, 249. 

Scarsly, parsimoniously. 

Sch-aft, an arrow, shaft, 504. 

Scliake, p.p. shaken. 

Scliainefast, modest, 1197. 
Schamfastnesse, modesty. 

Schap, form, shape, 1031. 



Schape, schapen, p.p. destined, 
planned, 534. 

Schape, schapen, to plan, pur- 
pose, ordain, 250. 

Schaply, fit, likely. 

Schave, shaven. 

Sche, she. 

Scheeld, scheld, a shield, 1264. 

Scheeldes, coins called crowns. 

Scheene, schene, bright, fair, 
beautiful, 210. 

Schent, p.p. schencle, hurt de- 
stroyed, 1896. 

Schepne, stables, 1142. 

Schere, shears, 1559. To this 
root belong shear, share, shire, 
shore, plough-share, sl sheard, or 
sherd (as in pot-sherd), shorty 
skirt, shirt. 

Scherte, a shirt. 

Schet, p.p. shut, 1739. It is con- 
nected with shoot ^ for to shut is 
to close the door by means of a 
bolt or bar driven forwards. 

Schipman. a sailor. 

Schires ende = end of a shire or 
county. 

Schirreve, the governor (reeve) 
of a shire or county. See Reeve. 

Schode, the temple (of the head), 
properly the parting of the hair 
of a man's head, not, as Tyrwhitt 
and others say, the hair itself, 
1149. 

Scholde, schulde, should. 

Schon, shone. 

Schoo, a shoe. 

Schorte, to shorten. See Shere. 

Schorteliche, briefly, 627. 

Schowte, to shout. 

Schre-we, to curse, beshrew: 
hence shreivd. Originally O.E. 
shrewed = wicked, and hence 
crafty, sharp, intelligent, clear- 
sighted. 

Schrighte, schrykede,shrieked, 
1959. 



GLOSSARY. 



135 



Schul, pi. shall, 889. 

Schuld, schulde, should. 

Schulder, a shoulder. SchuU 
dered, shouldered, haviug 
shoulders. A.S. scylan, to di- 
vide; whence scale, skill, scull, 
shell, shield, shale, sill. 

SciLuln, pi. shall, 498. 

Schynes, shias, legs, 421. 

Scliyvere, to shatter, 1747. 

Sclender, slender. It is proba- 
bly only a sibilant form of lean. 

Scole, a school. Scaler, a scholar. 

Scoleye, to attend school, to 
study. 

Seche, seke, to seek, as in be- 
seech. 

Secre, secret. 

Seek, seeke, sick. Seeknesse, 
sickness, 398. 

Seene, to see, 56. 

Seet (pi. seeten), sat, 1217, 2035. 

Sege, a siege, 79. 

Seide (pret. of seye), said. 

Seie, seye, to say. 

Seigh (pret. of se), saw. 

Seint, seinte, saint. 

Seistow, sayest thou, 267. 

Seith, saith, says. 

Seke, to seek. See Seche. 

Seke, pi. sick. See Seek. 

Seknesse, sickness, 453. 

Selde, seldom, 681. 

Selle, giv^e, sell. 

Selle, house, cell. 

Selve, same, 1726. Cp. "the 
self -same day," etc. A.S. seolf. 
Ger. selbst. 

Sely, simple, happy. 

Seme (vb. impers.), to seem. 

Semely, seemly, comely, elegant, 
what is beseeming. O.E, seme, 
seemly. 

Semycope, a short cope. 

Sen, seen, seene, sene, to see. 
to be seen, 415, 499. 

Sendal, a thin silk. 



Sentence, sense, meaning, judg- 
ment, matter of a story. 
Sergeant (or Sergeaunt) of 

law, a servant of the sovereign 

for his law business. 
Sermonyng, preaching, 2233. 
Servage, bondage, 1088. 
Servaunt, a servant, 1377. 
Servy sable, willing to be of ser. 

vice. 
Serye, series, 2209. 
Sesonn, season. 
Seten (p.p. of sette), sat, 594. 
Sethe, to boil, seethe. 
Seththen, since. See Sith. 
Seurte, security, surety, 746. 
Sewed, followed. 
Sey, saw. See Seigh. 
Sey, seye, seyn, to say (pret. 

seyde). 
Seyh, saw. See Seigh. 
Seyl, a sail. 
Seyn, p.p. seen. 
Seynd (p.p. of senge), singed, 

toasted. 
Seynt, seynte, holy, a saint, 863. 
Seynt, a girdle. 
Shef, a sheaf. 
Shorteliche, shortly, briefly, 

627. 
Sight, providence, 814. 
Sik (pi. sike), sick, 742. See Seek. 
Sike, a sigh; vb. to sigh. See 

Sicough. 
Siker, syker, sure, certain, 2191. 
Sikerly, surely, certainly, truly. 
Sistren, sisters, 161. 
Sit, sits, 740. 
Sith, sithe, sithes, time, times, 

1019. 
Sith, siththen, since, afterwards, 

72, 434, 545, 663, 1244. 
kalled, having the scaZZ, scale, or 

sea 6, scurfy. 
Skape, to escape. See Scape. 
Ska the, loss, misfortune. It still 

exists in scatheless, scathing. 



136 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Sklendre, slender. 

Slake, slow, 2043. See Aslake. 

Slaughtre, a slaughter, 1173. 

Slawe (p.p. of sle), slain. 

Slee, sleen, slen, to slay, 364. 

Sleep (pret. of slepe), slept. 

Sleere, a slayer, 1147. 

Sleeth, slays, 260. 

Sleighly, prudently, wisely, 586. 

It is not used in a bad sense. 
Sleighte, contrivance, craft. 
Slep, slept. See Sleep. 
Slepen, to sleep. 
Slepy, causing sleep, 529. 
Slepyng, sleep. 
Sieves, sleeves. 
Slider, slippery, 406. With the 

root slide are connected sledge 

(O.E. sled), slade, etc. 
Sloggardye, sloth, 184. O.E. 

slogge, to be sluggish; whence 

slug, sluggish. 
Slough, slowh (pret. of sle), 

slew, 122, 1608. 
Smal, smale, small. 
Smerte, adj. smarting, sharp, 

grievous; adv. sharply, smartly. 
Smerte (pret. smerte), to pain, 

hurt, displease, 536. 
Smokyng, perfuming, 1423. 
Smootj smot (pret. of smite). 

smote, 846. 
Smothe, smooth, smoothly. 
Sne-wede, snoived, swarmed, 

abounded. 
Snybbe, to reprove, snub. 
Soberly, sad, solemn. 
Socour, succor, 60. 
S.odein, sodeyn, sudden. So- 

deinly, Sodeynliche, Sodeynly, 

suddenly, 260, 717. 
Solaas, solas, solace, mirth. 
Solempne, festive, important. 
Solempnely, pompously. 
Solempnite, feast, festivity, 12. 
Som, some, 397, 399. Cp. som . . . 

som = one . . . other. 



Somdel, somewhat. 
Somer, summer. 
Sompnour, an officer employed 
to summon delinquents to ap- 
pear in ecclesiastical courts, now 
called an apparitor. 
Sond, sand. 

Sondry, sundry, various. 
Sone, soon, 562. 
Sone, a son. 
Song, pret. sang, 197. Songe, p.p. 

sung. 
Sonne, the sun, 5. 
Soo, so. 
Sop (in wyn). 
Soper, supper. 
Sore, soor, sb. grief, 1836; adv. 

sorely, 536. 
Sort, destiny, chance. 
Sor^we, sb. sorrow, 361, 419. Sor- 
iven, vb. to be sorrowful, grieve. 
Sorwefnl, sorrowful, 212. 
Sory, sorrowful, 1146, 1152. '' Sory 
comfort" = discomfort; '* sot-y 
grace" = misfortune. 
Soth, sooth, sothe, sb. truth; 
adj. true, 768. It still exists in 
forsooth, soothsayer. 
Sothely, sothly, truly. 
Sothfastnesse, truth. 
Sotil, sotyl, subtle, fine-wrought, 

196, 1172. 
Soun, sown, a sound, to sound. 
Souper, supper. ^ 
Souple, supple, pliant. 
Soveraignly, surpassingly. 
Sovereyn, high, supreme, sove- 
reign. 
Sowle, soul, 1005. 
Sowne, vb. to sound; sb. sound. 
Sownynge in, tending to. 
Spak, spake. 

Spare, to refrain, abstain from. 
Sparre, bar, bolt (Eng. spar), 132. 
Sparthe, a battle-axe, or halberd, 

1662. 
Sparwe, a sparrow. 



GLOSSABY. 



13Y 



Special, "in special," specially. 

Speede, to speed, succeed (pret. 
spedde), 359. 

Speken, to speak (pret. spaJc). 

Spere, a spear, 781. 

Spiced, sophisticated, or scrupu- 
lous. 

Spicerie, spices, 2077. spices = 
species, kinds". 

Spores, spurs. A.S. spur a, spora, 
Ger. Sporn ; whence Eng. spurn. 

Sprad, p.p. spread, 2045. 

Springen, to spring, 1749. A.S. 
sprengan ; Sw. springa, spricka^ 
to burst, spring; Ger. sprengen, 
to scatter, burst open ; Eng. 
sprig, spray, spy'inkle, spruce, 
belong to this family of words. 

Spronge (p.p. of springe), sprung, 
579. 

Squyer, a squire. 

Stabled, established, 2137. 

Stalke, to step slowly and stealth- 
ily, 621. 

Starf (pret. of sterve), died, 75. 
See Sterve. 

Steep, stepe, bright, glittering; 
not deep or sunken, as it is gen- 
erally explained. 

Steer, a yearling bullock, a steer 
or stirk, 1291. 

Stele, to steal (pret. stal, p.p. 
stole, stolen). 

Stemede, shone. O.E. stem, 
steem, sl gleam of light. 

Stenten (pret. stente, p.p. stent), 
to stop, cease, 45, 510. A.S. 
stintan, to be blunt ; stunt, blunt, 
blockish. 

Sterre, a star. 

Stert, 847. At a stert = in a 
moment, immediately. 

Sterte, to start*, leap, escape 
(pret. sterte, p.p. stert), 186, 222, 
644. 

Sterve, to die, 286. 

Steven, stevene, (1) voice. 



sound, 1704; (2) a time appointed 
by previous agreement, 666. 

Ste^we, a fish-pond. 

Stille, quietly, secretly, 145. 

Stith, an anvil, 1168. 

Stiward, a steward. A.S. stiivard, 
a steward; O.N. stivardr, the 
person whose business it is to 
look to the daily work of an 
establishment; stjd, domestic oc- 
cupation; Norse stia, to be busy 
about the house; O.N. stia, a 
sheep-house (Eng. sty). The syl- 
lable -ward — keeper. 

Stoke = steke, to stick, 1688. 

Stole, p.p. stolen, 1769. 

Stomble, to stumble, 1755. O.E. 
stumpe, O.N. stumpa, to totter, 
fall. It is connected with stani- 

Smer, stump, stub. 

Stonde, stonden, to stand (pret. 
stod, p.p. stonde, stonden). 

Stonge, stongen, p.p. stung, 
221. 

Stoon, stone. A.S. stdn. 

Stoor, store, stock (of a farm). 
O.Fr. estor, Mid. Lat. staurum, 
store. O.Fr. estor er, to erect, 
build, garnish (Lat. instaurere). 
Telle no store = set no value 
upon, set no store by. 

Stope (p.p. of steppe, to step), ad- 
vanced. A.S. steppan (pret. 
stop, p.p. ge-stopen), to step, ad- 
vance. 

Stot, a stallion, a stoat (w^hich 
also signifies a weasel). A.S. 
stotte, a horse, hack; stod (in 
composition), a stallion ; Du. 
stuyte. The Promptorium Par- 
vulorum has ''stot, a horse, 
cabalus." 

Stounde, a moment, a short 
space of time, 354, A.S. stund, sl 
short space, space of time; O.H. 
Ger. stunt, a moment; Ger. 
Stunde, an hour. 



138 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Stoute, stowte, strong, brave, 

1296. 
Straughte (pret. of strecche), 
stretched, 2058. 

Straunge, foreign. O.Fr. es- 
trange, Lat. extraneus, from 
extra, without. 

Stre, stree, straw, 2060. A.S. 
streoiu, Norse strd ; A.S. streo- 
wian, Ger. streuen, to strew. 

Strecche, to stretch. O.E. streke^ 
to stretch; A.S. streccan, to 
stretch; strec, rigid, violent; with 
which are connected streak, 
strike, stroke, stark, &c. 

Streem, stream, river. 

Streepe, to strip, 148. We have 
the other form of this root in 
strip, stripe, strap. 

Streite, drawn. 

Streyne, to constrain. 

Streyt, close, narrow, stinted. 
strict. 

S.treyte, closely. O.Fr. estroit. 
It. stretto, strait, narrow; Lat. 
stringere, stricture, to strain. 

Strif, stryf, strife, contest, 1580. 
O.Fr. es^r//, strif e ; estriver, Ger. 
streben, to strive. 

Strike (of flax), a hank. 

Strof (pret. of strive), strove, dis- 
puted, vied with, 180. 

Strond, stronde, strand. 

Strook, a stroke, 848. 

Stubbes, stumps, trunks, 1120. 
A.S. styb, Du. stobbe, stump; 
whence, stubborn, stubble. 

Stynt, imp. sing, stop, 1490. 

Stynte, stynten, to stop (pret. 
stynte), 1513. See Stenten. 

Subtilly, craftily. 

SuflQ-saunce, sufficiency. 

SuflQ.saunt, sufficient, 773. 

Sunge, sungen, p.p. sung. 

Surcote, an upper coat. 

Susteene, to sustain, 1135. 

Suster (pi. susti-es), sl sister, 13. 



Swelte, fainted, 498. A.S. stveltan, 
to die, perish (through heat). 

S^werd, a sword. 

Swere, to swear, 963. We have 
the same root in answer. 

S-wet, swete, sweet. 

Sweven, a dream. O.N. sofa, to 
sleep. 

S'wich., such; sivich sorive, so 
great sorrow, 4. 

S^winke, s-wynke, to labor, toil. 

Swinkere, a laborer. 

Swoot, swoote,' STvote, sweet, 
1569. 

Swor, s-wore. See Sicere. 

S"WOUgh, the raging of the ele- 
ments, a storm, 1121. 

S-wowne, to swoon, 55, 1961. The 
O.E. swoghe shows that swoon 
is connected with sigh, sough, 
&c. 

STvymbel, a moaning, sighing 
sort of noise, caused by the wind, 
1121. 

S-wyn (sing, and pi.), swine. 

Sw^nk, sb. labor, toil. 

Syk, syke, sick. 

Syke, sb. a sigh, 1062; vb. to sigh. 
2127. See Sike. 

Syn, since. See Sith^ 

Sythens, since. See Sith. 

Taas, tas, heap, 147, 151, 162. 

Tabard, the sleeveless coat on 
which arms were 'embroidered; 
a herald's coat of arms. It was 
the old dress of the laborer, and 
Chaucer applies it to the loose 
frock of the ploughman. 

Taffata, taffeta. 

Taille, a tally, an account scored 
in a notched piece of wood. 

Tak, imper. take, 226. 

Take, p.p. taken, 1789. 

Takel, an arrow. It seems to 
have signified any sort of imple- 
ment or utensil, whether used as 
a tool or weapon . 



GLOSSARY. 



139 



Tale, speech, discourse. Telle 

• tale = take account of, estimate. 

Talen, to tell tales. 

Tallage = to allege, 2142. 

Tapicer, an upholsterer. Fr. 
tapis, a carpet. 

Tappestere, a female tapster. 

Targe, a target or shield. Fr. 
targe. 

Tathenes = to Athens, 165. 

Techen, to teach. 

Teene, vexation, annoyance, 2247. 

Tendite, to endite, tell, 351. 

Teres, tears, 422. 

Tespye, to espy. 

Testers, head-pieces or hemlets, 
1641. 

Thabsence, the absence, 381. 

Thankes, thonkes, the genitive 
of thank, 768, 1249. Used ad- 
verbially with the personal pro- 
nouns (possessive), his thankes, 
he being willing. 

Thanne, then. 

Tharmes, the arms, 2058. 

Tharray, the array. 

Thavys, the advice, 2218. 

The, to thrive, prosper. 

Theffect, the effect, 331. 

Thei, they. The Northern form 
is tha or thai; the Southern 
heo, hi. 

Thencens, thensens, the in- 
cense, 1419. 

Thenchauntementz, the en- 
chantments, 1086. 

Thencres, the increase. 

Thenke, (1) to think; (2) to seem. 
Thank is another form of the 
root. See Thinke. 

Thentre, the entrance, 1125. 

Ther, there, where. 

Therto, besides. 

Tbes, these, 673. 

Thestat, the state or rank. 

Thider, thither, 405. 

Thilke, the like, that, 335, 1525. 



Thinke, thynke, to seem. It is 
used impersonally, as "me 
thinketh'" = it seems to me. 

Thirle, to pierce, 1852. A S. 
whence nostrils (O.E. nose- 
thirles), thrill, trill. 

Thise, pi. these. 

Tho, pi. the, those, 265, 1493. 

Tho, then, 135. 

Thoflace, the office, 2005. 

Thombe, thumb. 

Thonder, thunder. A.S. thunor, 
Ger. Donner. With this class of 
words are connected din, dun, 
stun. 

Thonke, thank. 

Thorisoun, the orison or prayer, 
1403. 

Thral, slave, serf, one enslaved, 
694. 

Thred, threed, thread, 1172; 
Thredhare, threadbare. 

Thresshe, to thrash. 

Threste, to thrust, press, 1754. 

Thridde, third, 605. 

Thries, thrice. 

Thurgh, through, 362. 

Thurgh-fare, a thorough tsive, 
1989. Cp. Goth, thairh, Ger. durch, 
Eng. through and thorough. 

Thurgh-girt. See Girt. 

Til, to, 620. 

To, at. 

To-breste, burst asunder, 1753. 
See Br est e. 

To-brosten, burst or broken in 
pieces, 1833, 1899. 

To-hewen, hewed or cut in 
pieces, 1751. 

Tollen, to take toll or payment. 
A.S. tol, tax. The Romance 
form of the root is seen in tally, 
tailor, entail, retail, tallage. 

To-morn, to-morrow. See Morwe. 
The to (as in to-yere = this year) 
is the prep, to, as in O.E. to- 
gedere, together. 



140 



THE KKIGHTES TALE. 



Ton, toes. 

Tonge, tongue. 

Tonne-greet, having the cir- 
cumference as great as a tun, 
1136. 

Too, toe, 1868. 

Tool, weapon. 

Toon, toes. 

Top, head. 

Toret, turret, 1051. 

Torettz, rings, 1294. 

Torne, to turn, 630. Fr. tourner. 
The root tor, turn, twist, is seen 
in the Lat. tornus, a lathe ; tor- 
quere, to twist; turhen, a whirl- 
wind. 

To-schrede, cut in shreds, 1751. 
See Schere. 

Toun, town. 

Tour, tower, 172, 419. 

Trace, track, path. 

Trapped, having trappings, 2032. 

Trappures, trappings of a horse, 
1641. 

Traunce, a trance, 714. 

Trays, the traces by which horses 
draw, horse-harness, 1281. 

Trecch.erie, treachery. 

Trede, to tread, 2164. 

Tresoun, treason, 1143. 

Trespace, trespass, 960. 

Tresse, a tress, plait, 191. 

Trete, treaty, 480. 

Tretys, long and well-propor. 
tioned. 

Trewe, true. Trewely, truly. 

Trompe, trumpe, a trumpet, a 
trumpeter, 1316, 

Tronchoun, a headless spear or 
truncheon, 1757. 

Troutlie, truth, troth, 752. 

Tro'we, to believe. Trow = I 
think it to be true. 

Trussed up, packed up. 

Tukked, tucked, coated. 

Tunge, a tonge. 

Tuo, two. 



Turneying, turneynge, a tour- 
meut, 1699. See Torne. 

Tway, twayn, twayne, twey, 
tweye, twoo, tuo, two, twain, 
40, 270. With this root we must 
connect twin, twine, twill, twig. 
It appears also in ttcelve (=2-f 
10), and tiventy (2 X 10). 

T"wynne, to depart, separate. 
See Tway. 

Tyde, time. A.S. tid, time; 
whence tidy, tides. 

Typet, tippet. 

Typtoon, tiptoes. See Toon. 

Unce, a small portion. (Eng. 
ounce.) 

UncoutlL, uncouthe. unco-wth, 
unkouthe, unknov»n, rare, un- 
couth, 1639. See Coiithe. 

Undergrowe, undergrown. 

Undern, the time of the mid-day 
meal. A.S. undern, the third 
hour of the day. It signifies 
literally the intervening period, 
and hence a part of the fore- 
noon, a meal taken at that time. 

Undertake, to affirm. 

UnknoTve, unknown, 548. 

Unkonnyng, unknowing, not 
cunning (knowing), ignorant. In 
our English Bible the word cun- 
ning is used in a good sense, 
1538. 

Unset, not at a set time, not ap- 
pointed, 666. 

Untwist, unknown, 2119. See 
Wite. 

Unyolden, not having yielded, 
1784. See Yolden. 

Uphaf (pret. of upheve), up- 
heaved, uplifted, 1570. See 
Heve. 

UprigtLt, flat on the back, 1150, 

Upriste, uprising, 193. 

Up-so-down, upside down, 519. 

Upstert, upsterte, upstarted, 
arose, 441. See Sterte. 



GLOSSARY. 



141 



tJpyaf, gave up, 1569. 

Vasselage, valor, courage (dis- 
played in the service rendered 
by a vassal), 2196. 

Vavasour. A Vavasour was 
most probably a sub-vassal 
holding a small fief, a sort of 
esquire. 

Venerye, hunting, 1450. Lat. 
venari, to hunt, chase; whence 
venison. 

Ventusyng, cupping, a surgical 
term, 1889. 

Venym, poison, venom, 1893. 

Verdite, verdict, judgment, sen- 
tence. 

Verray, verrey, true, very. Ver- 
raily, truly. 

Vese, a rush of wind, draught, 
gush; lit. an impulse, 1127. Lat. 
impetus. Hence probably the 
modern Eng. /iiss. (Skeat.) 

Vestimenz, vestments, 2090. 1 

Veyn, vain, 236. 

Veyne blood, blood of the veins, 
1889. 

Viage, voyage. 

Vigilies, vigils. 

Vileinye, sb. unbecoming con- 
duct, disgrace, 84, 

Vitaille, victuals. 

Voucliesaufjto vouchsafe,grant. 

Voyde, to expel, 1893. 

"Waar, aware, wary. See War. 

"Wake-pleyes, ceremonies at- 
tending the vigils for the dead, 
2102. 

'Walet, a wallet. 

"Wan, won, conquered, 131. See 
Winne. 

"Wane, to decrease, diminish, 
1220. 

"Wanhope, despair, 391. See 
Wane. 

"Wanto-wn, wanton, free, unre- 
strained. The prefix ivan = 
'Un; -toivn = -togen, trained. 



■Waiito"wnesse, wantonness. 
"War, aware, cautious, prudent. 

A.S. woer, ivar, caution. "I was 

waar.''^ 
"Ware, to warn, to cause one to 

beware. 
"Wastel-breed, bread-cake. O- 

Fr. gasteau, a cake. 
"Waterles, without water. 
"Wawes, waves, 1100. 
'Wayke, weak, 29. 
'Wayle'way, ^\rela-w"ay, alas I 

well-a-way 1 well-a-day 1 80. 
"Waymentyng, -weyineiityng, 

a lamentation, wailing, 137, 1063. 
"Wayte, to be on the look out f oi*, 

to look for, 364. See Awayt. 
Webbe, a weaver. 
"Wedde, pledge, security, 360. 

" to ivedde'' = for a pledge. 
"Wedden, to wed, 974. 
"Wede, clothing, 148. It is still re- 
tained in " widow's weeds.'' ^ 
"Weel, well, 68, 1265. 
"Welj adv. full, very, 653; much, 

396. 
"Wele, weal, prosperity, wealth, 

37. 
"Welle, source, fountain, 2179. 
Wende, weened, thought, 411. 
"Wende, ^wenden, to go, pass 

awaj', 1356. The Eng. luent is 

the past tense of ivende. Cp. 

the phrase "to wend one's 

way." 
"Wene, to ween, think, 797. It is 

preserved in E. ween, over-ween- 
ing, &c. 
"Wenged, winged, 527. 
"Wep, weep, wept, 1487. Cp. 

O.E. crep, lep = crept, leapt. 
"Wepe, "wepen (pret. ^ceej), tcep; 

p.p. ivepen), to weep. 
Wepen, wepne, a weapon, 733. 
Werche, wirche, "werken, to 

work, 1901. 
Were, to defend, guard, 1692. 



142 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



"We rede, wore. 

"Werre, war. 

Werreye, "werreyen, to make 
war against, 626, 686. 

"Werse, worse, 366. 

"Werte, a wart. 

"Wessch. (pret. of wasche), washed, 
1425. 

"Wete, wet, moist, 422. 

"Wette, wetted. 

Wex, sb. wax. 

Wexe, to increase, grow, be- 
come. A.S.tveaxan, to increase. 
Wex, increased, became, 504. 
Shakespeare has "a man of 
wax''' = an adult, a man of full 
growth. 

"Wexyng, growing, increasing, 
1220. 

"Way, weye, a way. 

"Weyeth., weigheth, esteems, 923. 

"Weyle, to wail; to cryi^ei.^or 
woe! 363. 

"Weymentynge, 44. See Way- 
mentyng. 

WhLan, whanne, when. 

"Wliat, lo ! wherefore, why. 

■Whel, wheel, 1165. 

"Whelkes, pimples, blotches, Ger. 
welken, to wither, fade, dry. 

"Wlier, where, 1952. 

A;V"her, whether, 1394. 

"Whether, whether, which of 
two, 998. 

"Which, what. Which a = what 
a, 1817. 

'Whilj whilst. While,t[me. A.S. 
hwile, time ; Norse hvila, to rest. 
It is retained in awhile; " to 
while away the time" = to pass 
the time away in rest or recrea- 
tion. Whiles, whilst. 

"WTiilona, formerly, once. 1, 1545. 
The -um was an old adverbial 
ending, as seen in O.E. ferrum, 
Sit SLY. Eng. seldom. 

Whit, white. Comp. whitter, 



"Whyppyltre, the cornel-tree, 

2065. 
"Wide'we, Tvyd^we, a widow. 
"Wif, wyf, wife, woman. 
"Wight, any living creature; a 

person male or female. 
Wight, wighte, weight, 1287. 
Wikke, wicked, bad, untoward, 

229. O.E. wikke, poor, mean, 

iveak. 
Wilfully, willingly. 
"Wilne, to desire, 751. 
Wilton, wilt thou, 686. 
"Wilwe, willow-tree, 2064. 
Winne, 'wynne (pret. wan, won; 

p.p. ivonne, wonnen), to win, ob- 
tain, gain, 759. 
Wirche, to work, 1901. 
"Wis, "wys, wise. 
Wis = iwis, certainly, 1928. *' As 

iijis — as certainly, as truly. 

See Iwis. 
Wise, 'wyse, mode, manner, 481, 

882. See Gyse. 
Wisly, "wysly, truly, 1376. See 

Iwis. 
"Wit, understanding, judgment, 

wisdom, 279, 746. 
Wite, Avyte, to know, to learn, 

402, 977; 1st and 3d pers. sing. 

indie, wot, woof; 2d pers. icost; 

pi. witen, ivy ten; pret. wiste. 

A.S. witan, to know; whence 

wit, to wit, witty, &c. 
"Withholde, maintained. 
Withouten, without, besides. 
"Withsayn, -withseie, to gain- 
say, 282. 
"Wityng, knowledge, 753. See 

Wite. 
Wive, wyve, dat. of ivif, wyf. 
Wlatsome, loathsome, hateful, 

233. 
"Wo, -woo, sb. sorrow, woe: adj. 

sorrowful, grieved, displeased. 
"Wode. See Wood. 
Wodly, madly, 443. See Wood. 



GLOSSARY. 



143 



"Wofullere, the more sorrowful, 

• 482. 

Wol, "wole, vb. will, pi. wolden. 

Wolde, would. 

"WoUe (pi. of wole), will. 

"Woln (pL), will, 1263. 

"Wolt, wilt; Woltow, wilt thou, 
299. 

■Wommanliede, womanly feel- 
ing, 890. 

"Wonder, wonderfully, 796. 

"Wonder, w^onderful, 1215. 

Wonderly, wonderfully. 

"Wone, custom, usage, 182. 

Wone, to dwell, 2069. 

Wonne, -wonnen (p.p. of winne), 
conquered, obtained, 19. 

"Wonyng, a dweUing, habitation. 

"Woo, sorrowful lament, 42. 

"Wood, "wode, mad, 471. A.S. 
ivod, mad ; icodnes, madness. 

"Woodebynde, a woodbine, 650. 

"Woodnesse, madness, 1153. 

Wook, awoke, 535. 

Woot (1st pers.), know. See 
Wite. 

"Worsch-ipe, to honor, to pay 
proper respect to another's 
icorth, 1393. 

"Worschipe, sb. honor; TFbr- 
schipfid, honorable, 1054. 

"Wortes, herbs. A.S. weort, wyrt. 
It still exists in coleivor-t, 
orchard (= wort-yard^ herb- 
garden). 

"Worthi, worthy, brave. Worth- 
inesses bravery. 

"Wost, knowest, 305. Wot, Woot, 
knows, 28. See Wite. 

Wrastle, to wrestle, 2103. 

"Wrastlynge, wrestling. 

Wrecclie, a wretch, wretched, 
63, 73, 248. 

"Wreke, to revenge, avenge, 
wreak, 103. 

Wrethe, a wi-eath, a derivative 
from the vb. to writhe, 1287. 



W^righte, a carpenter (literally, 
a w^orkman). Cp. wheelwright, 
playwright. 

"Writ, wTote. 

Wroth., angry. 

Wyd, wide. 

Wyf. See Wif. 

Wyke, a week, 681. 

Wympel, a covering for the 
neck. Ywympled, decked with 
a wymple. Fr. guimple. 

"Wyn, wine, 

Wynnynge, gain, profit. 

Wys, wise. Wysly, wisely. 

Wyte, wyten, know. See Wite. 

Yaf (pret. of yeve or yive), 
gave. 

Yate, a gate, 557. This old pro- 
nunciation still survives in some 
parts of England. 

Ybete, beaten, 1304. 

Ybrent, burnt, 88. 

Ybrought, brought, 253. 

Yburied, buried, 88. 

Ycleped, yclept, called. See 
Cl&pe. 

Ycome, come. 

Ycorve, cut, 1155. 

Ydon, done. 

Ydrawes drawn, 86. 

Ydropped, bedropped, covered 
with drops, 2026. 

Ydryve, y driven, driven, 1149. 

Ye, yea, the answer to a question 
asked in the affirmative form, 
809; yis, yes, being the affirma- 
tive answer to a question asked 
in the negative form. 

Yeddynges, songs; properly the 
gleeman's songs. 

Yeeldyng, yielding, return, pro- 
duce. 

Yeer, yer, year, 523. 

Yeldehalle = geldehall, a guild- 
hall. 

Yelle, to yell; Yelleden (pi. pret.), 
yelled. 



144 



THE KNIGHTES TALE. 



Yelpe, to boast, 1380. (Eng. 

yelp.) 
Yelwe, yellow, 191, 1071. It is 

connected with gold, gall, yolk, 

&c. 
Yeman, a yeoman, commoner, a 

feudal retainer. Tyrwhitt refers 

it to yeong email, a young man, 

a vassal. 
Yer, yeer, a year (pi. yeer, 

years). 
Yerd, yerde, rod, 529; as in yard- 

measure. 
Yerd, enclosure, yard. A.S. 

geard, hedge, enclosure, garden; 

Eng. yard, orchard, garden. 
Yeve, yeven, yive, to give, 

223. 
Yeve, yeven, p.p. given, 57. 
Yfounde, found, 353. 
Ygrounde, p.p. ground, sharp- 
ened, 1691. 
Yholde, p.p. esteemed, held, 

1516, 2100. 
Yifte, gift, 1340. 
Yit, yet. Yit now = ^ust now, 

298. 
Yive, yiven, to give. 
Ylik, alike, 1876. 
Ymaginyng, plotting, 1137. 
Ymaked, p p. made, 1997. 
Ymet, p.p. met, 1766. 
Yymeynd (p.p. of wengre), min- 
gled, mixed, 1312. A.S. mengian, 

to mix. 



Yniied, lodged, entertained, 1334. 
Ynoiigh, ynowgh, enough. See 

Inough. 
Yolden, p.p. yielded, repaid, 

2194. 
Yolle, to yell, 1814. 
Yollyng, yelling, 420. 
Yond, yonder, 241. 
Yong, yonge, young. 
Yore, of a long time. Yore ago = 

a long time ago, 955; of yore, 

in olden time. A.S. geara, of 

yore, from gear, a year. 
Yow, you. ' 
Ypayed, payed, 944. 
Yraft, bereft, 1157. 
Yronnen, p.p. run, coagulated, 

1835. 
Ysene, to be seen. 
Yserved, p.p. served, 105, 
Yslayn, slain, 1850. 
Yspreynd (p.p. of sprenge)^ 

sprinkled, scattered, 1311. 
Ystert, p.p. started, escaped, 734. 
Ystorve, dead, 1156. 
Yteyd, tied. 

Ytorned, p.p. turned, 380. 
Yturned, turned, 1204. 
Y-wis, ywys, certain, sure. See 

Iwis. 
Ywont, wont, accustomed. See 

Wone. 
Ywrought, worked, wrought. 
Ywympled, decreed with a wim- 
ple. See Wympel, 



A Text- Book on English Literature, 

With copious extracts from the leading authors, Engl ii aL 1 Ameri- 
can. With full Instructions as to the Method in which tb se are 
to be studied. Adapted for use in Colleges, High Schools, 
Academies, etc. By Brainerd Kellogg, A.M., Professor of 
the English Language and Literature in the Brooklyn Collegiate 
and Polvtechnic Institute, Author of a " Text-Book on Rhet- 
oric," and one of the Authors of Reed & Kellogg's '* Graded 
Lessons in English,*' and ''Higher Lessons in English." 
Handsomely printed. 12mo, 478 pp. 

The Book is divided into the following Periods : 

Period I. — Before the Norman Conquest, 670-1-066. Period II.— 
From the Conquest to Chaucer's death, 106G-1400. Period III.— 
From Chaucer's death to Elizabeth, 1400-1558. Period IV.— Eliza- 
beth's reign, 1558-1603. Period T.— From Elizabeths death to the 
Restoration, 1603-1 660. Period YI. — From the Restoration to Swift's 
death, 1060-1745. Period VII. —From Swift's death t ) the French 
Revolution, 1745-1789. Period VIIL — From the French Revolution, 
1789, onwards. 

Each Period is preceded by a Lesson containing' a brief resum^ of the 
great historical events that have had somewhat to do in shaping or m color- 
ing the literature of that period. 

The author aims in this book to furnish the pupil that which he cannot 
help himself to. It groups the authors so that their places in the line and 
their relations to each other can be seen by the pupil; it throws light upon 
the authors' times and surroundings, and notes the great influences at work, 
helping to make their writings what they are ; it points out such of these 
as should be studied. 

Extracts, as many and as ample as the limits of a text-book would 
allow, have been made from the principal writers of each Period. Such are 
selected as contain the characteristic traits of their authors, both in 
thought and expression, and but few of these extracts have ever seen the 
light in books of selections— none of them have been worn threadbare by 
use, or have lost their freshness by the pupU's familiarity with them in the 
school readers. 

It teaches the pupil how the selections are to be studied, soliciting and 
exacting his judgment at every step of the way which leads from the 
author's diction up through his style and thought to the author himself, 
and in many other ways it places the pupil on the best possible footing with 
the authors whose acquaintance it is his business, as well as his pleasure, to 
ms-kp 

Short estimates of the leading authors, made by the best English and 
American critics, have been inserted, most of them contemporary with us,*^ 

The author has endeavored to make a practical, common-sense text- 
book: one that would so educate the student that he would know and 
enjoy g-ood literature. 

** I find tho book in its treatment of English literature enperior to any other I 
have examined. Its .nain feature, which should be tho leading one of all eimilar 
books, is tnal it is a means to an end, simply a guide-book to the study of Enyli^h 
literature. Too many students in the past have studied, not the literature of the 
English language, but some author's opinion of that literature. I know from ex- 
perience that your method of treatment will prove an eminently successful one."— 
Jaities H. Skulls, Fnn, of the Wf-st High School, Cleveland, 0, 

Clark k MAYNARD, Publishers. New York. 



|A Text-Book on Rhetoric; 

Supplementing the Development of the Science with 
Exhaustive Practice in Composition. 

Course of Practical Lessons Adapted for use in Higli Scliools and 
Academies, and in the Lower Classes of Colleg-es. 

BY 

BRAINERD KELLOGG, A.M., 

Professor of the English Language and Literature in the Brooklyn 
Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, and one of the authors of 
Heed & Kellogg' s ''Graded Lessons in English'* 
^ and ''Higher Lessons in English,'* 



In preparing this work upon Rhetoric, the author's aim has been to 
iJtvTite a practical text-book for High Schools, Academies, and the lower 
blasses of Colleges, based upon the science rather than an exhaustive 
treatise upon the science itself. 

This work has grown up out of the belief that the rhetoric which 
;he pupil needs is not that which lodges finally in the memory, but that 
f^hich has worked its way down into his tongue and fingers, enabling 
im to speak and write the better for having studied it. The author 
relieves that the aim of the study should be to put the pupil in posses- 
lion of an art, and that this can be done not by forcing the science into 
lim through eye and ear, but by drawing it out of him, in products, 

Shrough tongue and pen. Hence all explanations of principles are fol- 
owed by exhaustive practice in Composition — to this everything is made 
^butary. 



i" Kellogg's Rhetoric is evidently the 
niit of scholarship and large experience, 
[he author has collected his own mate- 
ials, and disposed of them with the skill 
pf a master ; his statements are precise, 
Ircid, and sufficiently copious. Nothing 
,t sacrificed to show ; thebookis int*»nded 
\r use. and the abundance of exi .pies 
Hill constitute one of its chief merits in 
he eyes of the thorouffh teacher."— /Vof. 
k. S. Cook, Johns Hopkins Universiiy^ 
paltimore, Md. 



"This is just the work to take the 
place of the much-stilted 'Sentential 
Analysis ' that is being waded through to 
little purpose by the Grammar and High 
School pupils of our country. This work 
not only teaches the discipline of "analyz- 
ing thought, but leads the student to 
feel that it is his thought that is being 
dealt with, dissected, and unfolded, to 
etficient expression." — Prof, G. S. Albee^ 
Prest, of State Normal School^ Oskkosh, 
Wis, 



276 pages, 12mo, attractively bound in cloth. 



CLARK & MAYNARD, Publishers, New York, 



Ekgush Olassio Series^ 



FOB 



Classes in English Literature, Reading, Grammar, e^ 

BDITfiD BY EMINENT ENGLISH AND AMERICAN SCHOI.A»S. . 

JEkJUih Volume cwUains a Sketch of the Author's Ufe, Prefaiory and 
Explanatory NoteSy etc., etc. 



% Byron's Prophecy of I>ante. 

^ (Cantos I. and II.) 

^ Milton's I4' Allegro and H Fense- 

3 I^ord Bacon's Essays, Civil and 

Moral. (Selected.) 

4 Byron's Prisoner of Cmllon. 

5 Moore's Fire-Worshipers. (Lalla 

Rookh, Selected from Parts I. 
and II.) ^ ^„, 

6 Goldsmith's Deserted Village. 

7 Scott's Marmion. ^ ,tt % 

(Selections from Canto vl.) 

8 Scott's tay of the I^st Mnstrel. 

(Introduction and Canto I.) 

9 Bums' Cotter's Saturday Night» 

and Other Poenis. 

10 Crahhe's The Village. 

11 Camphell's Pleasures of Hope, 

(Abridgment of Part I.) 

12 Macaulay's Essays on Bunyan's 

Pilgrim's Progress. 

13 Macaulay's Armada, and other 

Poems. ■ ^ --. 

14 Shakespeare's Merchant of Ven- 

ice. (Selections from Acts I., 
III. and IV.) 

15 Goldsmith's Traveler. 

16 Hogg's Queen's Wake. 

17 Coleridge's Ancient Mariner. 

18 Addison's Sir Roger de Coverljy. 

19 Gray's Elegy in a Country 

Churchyard. 

20 Scott's I-ady of the ^^'^%'. , . 

(Canto I.) 

21 Shakespeare's As You I^ike It, 

etc. (Selections.) 

22 Shakespeare's King John an<i 

KingBichardll. (Selections.) 

23 Shakespeare's King Henry IV., 

King Henry V., King Henry 
VI. (Selections.) ^^.^^ , 

24 Shakespeare's Henry Viii. ana 

JuUus CsBsar. (Selections.) 

25 Wordsworth's Excursion. 

(Book I.) 

26 Pope's Essay on Criticism. 

27 Spenser's Faerie Q?e«"«- ^ ^t ^ 

^ (Cantos I. and II.) 

28 Cowper's Task. (Book I.) 

29 Milton's Comus 



eeP 



31 Irvine's Sketch Book. 

(Selectioi 

32 Bickens' Christmas Carol. 

(Condense 

33 Carlyle's Hero as a Prophet 

34 Macaulay's Warren Hastingi 

(Condensf 

36 Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakeflt 

(Condense 

36 Tennyson's The Two Voices r 

A Bream of Fair Women, 

37 Memory Quotations. For ust , 

High Schools and upper classc 
of Grammar Schools, 

38 Cavalier Poets. 
30 Bryden's Alexander's Feast 

MacFleknoe. 

40 Keats' The Eve of St. Agnei 

41 Irving's I*egend of Sle< 

Houow. _^ , 

42 liamVs Tales from Shakespea 

43 liO Bow's How to Teach Rea 

inc. The author of this manii 
has had long and successful e 

Wjerlence in teaching this subje^ 
ehster's Bunker Hill Oration? 

45 The Academy Orthoepist. i 

Manual of Pronunciation fo 
use in the School-room, includ 
Ing a special list of prooer name 
of frequent occurrence in litera 
ture, science and art. 

46 Milton's I^ycidas, and Hymn 01 

the Nativity. , ^ ^^ 

47 Bryant's Thanatopsis, and othe. 

Poems. ^ « . ^ ' 

48 Buskin's Modem Painters. 

(Selections 

49 The Shakespeare Speaker. 

Selections from Shakespear 
for declamation. 

60 Thackeray's Roundahou 

Papers. . . _ 

61 Webster's Oration on Adam 

and Jefferson. , „^ ^ . -^ 

62 Brown's Bab and His Friends 

53 Morris'sI-ifeandBeath of Jason 

54 Burke's Speech on Amertca: 

Taxation. ^ ^^ _ , 
56 Pope's Rape of the I-ock. 

56 Tennyson's Elaine. 

57 Tennyson's In Memoriam. 



30 Tennyson's Enoch Arden- 

Fnmi3!}to64paffestach,16mo. Oth^» in Preparation. Sentbgrne 
I on receipt of Iff Cents 

1^ 



PUBLISHED BY CLARK & MAYNARD, 771 Broadway New Yori 



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